


A Ballad of Broken Wings

by silentsymphonies



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Banter, Blood and Injury, Canon-Typical Violence, Dark, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, F/M, Feels, Fluff and Angst, Levi Ackerman is Bad at Feelings, Levi is grumpy but lowkey a softie, Multiple Perspectives, Original Character(s), Reader-Insert, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-15 17:00:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 66,218
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29687091
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/silentsymphonies/pseuds/silentsymphonies
Summary: A killer is on the loose.After solving an elusive cipher that proved your aptitude for the case, you were added to the elite detective force under the commandment of Chief Erwin Smith.Your only hope at catching him is joining forces with your new partner: a stoic, icy-eyed man with a short temper that slowly but surely makes his way into your heart.
Relationships: Levi Ackerman & Reader, Levi Ackerman/Reader
Comments: 53
Kudos: 53





	1. Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> This will be a long, slow burn fic. which will hopefully be entertaining for you all! There will be multiple puzzles/cyphers you can try your hand at if that is your thing throughout iit all as well. 
> 
> If you are using a text substitution program, I will be using Reader instead of L/N and Freya instead of Y/N (inspiration taken from Captain Degenerate) to make the story flow a little bit better which I hope is fine with you all!  
> Obligatory english is not my first language/this is my first fic warning as well. I hope you all enjoy :)
> 
> __  
> **Some Dance to Remember, Some Dance to Forget - Hotel California, The Eagles**  
> 

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A new assignment, a new team, and a new pain in your butt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be a long, slow burn fic that will hopefully be entertaining to read. There will be lots of puzzles and cyphers so if that is your thing, I hope you have fun trying your hand at them as you read! I truly hope you enjoy. 
> 
> If you are using a text replacement program to use your name in this story: Instead of Y/N, I will be using "Freya" and L/N will instead be Reader (inspired by Captain Degenerate) to make the story flow a bit better. I hope you don't mind too much!  
> Obligatory english is not my first language/this is my first fic. 
> 
> Some Dance to Remember, Some Dance to Forget - Hotel California, The Eagles

The dim hallways were scarcely illuminated with the beautiful colors of the early morning sky dancing from the large windows. The cold air inside the building making you shiver in your sweater, your body reacting to the new space with anticipation.

Coming in early on your first day seemed like the best choice to get yourself settled and learn your way around; there was nothing you hated more than having others think you were clueless. It was hard enough being a female detective, having to constantly make up for your gender, your height; you did not want to give people anything else to hang on to except your wits.

It had been a mixture of years of hard work and a little bit of luck that had allowed you to take the chance of working with other detectives on this case, only the elite Detective team was allowed to take on complicated serial killer cases.

With the number of victims piling on top each other but the investigation dragging on, barely advancing fast enough, the Chief of the Shiganshina district, Commander Smith, decided it was time to bring in some fresh eyes into the equation; all of this despite the complaints of his head detective.

The elusive detective Ackerman was shrouded in mystery and rumors, famous for turning down new recruits with no confirmation as to why yet. Despite his fame amongst the force, few knew the man in person.

All of this led to a variety of outlandish rumors about his, all of them ridiculous, most of them hopefully fake. Some attributed his success at his position to his assumed previous past as a murderer himself, something you thought unlikely. Others whispered he had a list of ridiculous demands anybody wanting to work for him had to fill, some even went as far to hypothesize he was not truly real but was instead a scapegoat name for the department to use when solving difficult cases to protect its detectives from possible vengeance attempts.

The one fact you were certain of was that, throughout this past year, several had applied for positions in this office, only to be turned down despite their expertise. Commander Smith had so far caved in to the lead detective’s request to work alone because of his impeccable record and impressive accomplishments yet the pressure to find the killer kept growing each day and it was time to give in to hiring new people on their team.

The people were getting restless and wanted the person responsible for the deaths caught at all costs. What mattered most, after all, was catching the killer on the loose, not adhering to the requests of his subordinate.

You look down at the box holding your belongings as you hold them closer for comfort, those allowed into the new office at least, as far as you know.

The rough cardboard felt heavy in your hands, despite the scarce items in it. There really was not much to speak on inside of it aside from your favorite stationary and coffee mug.

Whether you’d be given your own office space was still up for debate and you did not want to make a bad first impression by bringing in a million trinkets you had no space for, though you would surely miss your previous, decorated space and your old team.

You also neither expected nor wanted to bring too much attention to yourself, catching the bastard being your main objective, one you had been truly looking forward to. Eyes still heavy with sleepiness from the lack of your morning coffee, you thought more about the case on your way to the new office.

The murders had started around a year prior and were seemingly unconnected as far as the majority knew. The victims varied in age, gender and race had seemingly no affiliation to each other.

In fact, the only connecting similarity, the one that suggested this may be a serial assassin, was how all victims met their demise: a clean slash through the nape of their necks.

The specifics of the victims as well as further details regarding their states had remained a secret to the public. The only reason you knew this much was because of your own involvement in the case, that which had led you here today.

You had spent months trying to be transferred here, doing your best to prove to your supervisors how useful you could be to the investigation only to be turned down every single time. That is, of course, until Commander Smith put out “the challenge”.

It seemed the killer was getting bored of not being caught, or at least getting overconfident.

Unknown to the public, and most of the detective force as well, there had been a note left at the site of the last murder. Although “site” may not be the most accurate description. The note had not been found in the scene, but in the person.

The body and murder site had both looked as normal as they could at first. The victim, Ilse L., had been found by her husband upon coming back from work.

She had called out sick from work that day, making her targeting a likely unfortunate coincidence.

The house was pristine and showed no sign of a struggle anywhere aside from the living room where Ilse was found, the now expected slash to her nape the only thing hinting at what had happened.

It was only until coroner Arlert performed an autopsy that anything out of the ordinary was found. A small piece of paper slipped under Ilse’s tongue. This, along with the decreased amount of time in between killings, changed everything.

Commander Smith had sent a copy of the note’s contents along with pictures of the victim's body and crime scene to other departments, asking for them to present their best with the riddle, hopeful that others could be of help. You had jumped at this opportunity, trusting you could finally prove your worth.

_-_

_ Two Weeks Ago: _

_ *tap, tap, tap, tap, tap*  _

“Mr. Zacharias, wait!” The sound of small yet persistent footsteps echoed through the empty hallway, taunting the tall man and reminding him of the responsibilities he wanted to leave behind once the clock had struck closing time for the day.

There was only one person that voice could belong to in his mind. Mike, however, just wanted to get home so he rolled his eyes and started walking faster, twitching his mustache in annoyance and hoping you would give up the endeavor yet resigned at the same time, well acquainted with the relentless personality you possessed. 

“Not now, Ms.Reader,” he said with an authoritative tone. 

“Please give me a chance! I know I can solve it.” You started picking up the pace as you kept walking behind him, the rapid sound of footsteps closer with each small  _ tap, _ so close he could now smell your distinctive scent now.

Everybody had one and he would have been able to know who each person was by that alone. Miss Reader’s was nicer than most, very floral as he recalled. Predominantly lavender, an undertone of something even sweeter, tonka, perhaps? Very faint cocoa at times. The scent of parchment was usually on her as well, probably from all the files she managed on a daily basis, he recalled, pleased with himself for identifying it all. 

Mike Zacharias however, did not slow down at that statement. If anything, he seemed to hurry a bit more.

It is not that he lacked belief in the young woman behind him as much as his shift had ended,  _ over half an hour ago in fact, _ and he had yet to go home thanks to the new orders from Erwin.  _ That annoying bushy eyebrowed freak thought he could just dictate when everyone worked. Not everybody was as obsessed as he was. Other people enjoyed having lives outside of their work. _

“Mike… Please...” you said, a pleading tone reverberating around him, slight guilt wrapped up in annoyance making its presence known in him. 

He finally stopped at the sound of his first name, a low blow if he may add, and gave an exasperated sigh. Maybe it would be quicker to just give her what she wanted, he thought. 

Ms. Reader had been working under him for a few years now and if there was anything shorter than the woman, it was her patience. And temper. These were the thoughts on Mike’s head as he pondered. 

She did have an unmistakably sharp mind as well though, always pushing for an answer, sometimes harder than she was expected to do, even in this line of work, so Mike had no doubt she would be of help. 

_ Sigh. If only she was willing to wait until Monday.  _

“Mike..?” your voice was a bit more hopeful now that he stopped walking. 

_ The damned woman knows her plan is working.  _

“Fine. But you will be helping me go through the intern applications next week,” he finally conceded.

The ever-growing pile of recent graduates seeking an internship on his desk could surely use a hand and Mike had, unsurprisingly, found no volunteers to help with the task. It seemed their career had caught the attention of this year’s graduates. Perhaps they thought it sounded more glamorous than it actually was. He blamed those popular detective novels lately, focusing on the chase, never on the work. 

If he had to take the extra time to help today, maybe he could leave early next week in exchange. Dealing with interns was not his forte, they usually talked too much and, most importantly, their nervousness made them sweat giving off an acrid smell he detested. 

“Definitely! Thank you so much Mr. Zacharias!” you answered with a smile, immediately agreeing to his terms. 

_ Oh, now she uses my last name.  _

“Follow me, Freya,” Zacharias grunted, more than spoke.

Mike turned to the corridor on his right without checking to see if he was being followed, the location of his office was not a secret to anyone either way. He wished it was, there were more people knocking on his door than he had the patience for on a daily basis. You’d think grown adults would know how to do their job. 

Now that he thought about it though, those knocks had been slowing down this week; no other person in his team had asked to give the riddle a try.

He had glanced over it himself a few times but, unable to decipher it, ended up pushing it to the back of his mind. Cyphers were never his thing. Not only that, but the pictures of the poor woman were hard for him to watch. The victim this time had been young and pretty, her poor husband left behind to mourn for her.

It never got easier looking at victims. There was just something about how  _ alive _ this killer’s victims still looked that made him feel uncomfortable. Usually, murders were messy and this made it easier to accept what happened; but this killer seemed more meticulous with his work. 

Pushing that to the back of his mind, Mike glanced behind him to make sure you weren’t falling behind, he really wanted to get home and have some sleep. Perhaps he could even have a nice glass of wine beforehand as well. 

Approaching the entrance with his nameplate on the outside, Chief Zacharias unlocked the door and took in the scent of his office. He loved the smell of recently polished wood and paper it always brought with it. Others found his obsession with smells odd, but there was something comforting in associating smells to places and even people for him. 

To him, his office had the smell of knowledge, being filled with files denoting the cases he had worked on throughout the years. 

Glancing over his shoulder again, he saw you had finally caught up and were standing sheepishly in the doorway behind him. 

Letting out a slightly frustrated sigh, he strutted towards his desk to look for the folder Erwin had sent and then frowned.  _ Freya was capable, but should she be getting involved in this case?  _

_ It is, of course, understandable that she wants to, but it may be too close to home… it could, however, also provide her with closure in a way. Maybe.  _

Knowing how persistent of a detective you were and that you would get your hands on the file one way or another, Mike picked up the folder and held out his arm in your direction. 

“One condition. Promise me you will not overwork yourself trying to figure this out.” 

You nodded, a fierce look in your eyes, and gingerly took the folder from him. 

“Thank you… really.” 

He could already see it. His order would be ignored, but then he couldn’t blame you for trying to put the puzzle pieces together. 

The folder was already open in your arms, her eyebrows knitted in concentration and eyes darting across the pictures.

“ I will be taking my leave now if that is all-”

“-wait. This looks like a simple enough cipher, why haven’t others been able to crack it?” came the confused response from your mouth.

Ah. That. It was true that the  _ composition  _ of the cipher itself was easy to understand, but that was not all there was to it. It was never that simple. If it were, Smith would not have ordered to present this as a challenge required for joining the case.

“We have no key to solve it with” And it was true, he thought and grimaced. 

A puzzle that should be simple enough to solve,  _ if they had the missing piece. _

“I trust you will find it then, Miss Reader?” But you were no longer listening, having taken out a pencil to jot down notes on the file. The  _ only _ copy of the file he had that she should  _ not _ be writing on. 

But it was too late for that either way, so taking one last look at the woman standing in his doorway he had become fond of over the months, Mike patted your shoulder and walked out. 

“I expect you will not let your other assignments slip, Miss Reader.” He knew she wouldn’t, but voiced the order otherwise, hoping it would keep you from focusing too much on the file. 

You could be puzzling to him sometimes.

-

You loved puzzles. You always had. 

Memories of long winter nights, solving anything from crosswords to murder mystery games together with your mother as the fireplace warmed up your cold finers were close to your heart. The smell of hot cocoa would impregnate the air, comfortable silences broken only by the sound of satisfying answers.

Maybe that had been one of the reasons you leaned towards becoming a detective once choosing a career path came up. The thought of reliving those moments brought on excitement and comfort at once.

Journalism had briefly caught your attention, but it was too far from the action; reporting instead of fixing. That is why after graduating from the academy, you had slowly worked your way up to your current rank of detective. 

While it may not always be as glamorous as you had thought, mountains of paperwork being more pronounced than you had dared fear and action nowhere near as common, nothing was more satisfying than helping others find closure where before there was only chaos.

_Like making a constellation from the stars in the night sky. Connecting all the dots and chaos into a beautiful picture others could see._

Now you were sitting at your favorite coffee shop, the delicious aroma wafting all around you, vaguely aware of the approaching closing time while you looked over the file once more. There was not much in it but then, this was expected. 

The victim was Ilse L., aged 32. She was married with no children and lived in a normal, middle class neighborhood. Picket fences, children playing in the street without the need for parental supervision, it paradoxically embodied safety, a kindness Ilse had been spared. 

Her house had shown no signs of being broken into, but her husband had confirmed Ilse rarely locked her doors, trusting the safety of her home, having no reason to feel threatened by anything in her environment.

She had been nursing a bad flu for a few days and, after much begging from her husband, stayed home from work. No noticeable details were added about the state of her dwelling, aside from the first floor where she had been found. 

Apparently nothing was disturbed elsewhere in the residence, eliminating any chance of the murder being connected to more mundane crimes such as larceny.

The file listed her occupation as a middle school teacher, the time of death estimated at around 2 pm, only three hours before her husband got home from work. 

She had called in sick the day before and the school had assigned a random substitute teacher someone to cover her class. The only other things in the file were a handful of pictures, the autopsy report, and the infamous note you were meant to decipher. 

Armin had been analyzing the body as usual when he spotted the piece of paper showing underneath her tongue, the state of the parchment suggesting it had been placed there post mortem. 

This confirmed it was not from the victim, who could have left behind a clue for the detectives upon realizing her doom was upon her, but from the killer themselves instead. 

At first glance, the note was just gibberish, but you had seen plenty like them before during your various afternoons playing at detective with your mother. The apparently nonsensical jumble of words felt foreign, yet you could immediately identify what unscrambling method to use.

_“Mx pssow ew xlsykl qc tvizmsyw kmjx aew yrettvigmexih. Wmrgi mx pssow pmoi syv texlw gvswwmrk mw mrizmxefpi, M ibtigx csy ampp qeoi xli glewi qsvi mrxiviwxmrk. Psso jsvaevh xs lievmrk jvsq qi ekemr.”_

The Cypher seemed simple enough at first glance but, like Mike had said, you still needed the key. All cyphers were solvable with one. 

This one seemed like a simple Caesar shift which told her a few things. For one, the killer _wanted_ the note to be read, otherwise he would have chosen something much harder to solve. It looked as though whoever had murdered poor Ilse was aware of the effect they were having on the detective force as well, or they would not try to engage in games. They were playing a game with you all, daring you to do your move. 

As far as you knew, this was the first clue of this type present throughout the investigation. 

There were a few ways of solving a Caesar shift, you thought to yourself. You could either try and figure out which letters stood for those most commonly used, such as “e” and try to figure out the rest from there. 

You could also try and go through the entire alphabet using the appropriate “shifts,” all a Caesar shift was in the end after all, was shifting the entire alphabet by a specific number and applying that substitution to the rest of the message.

A simple substitution of each letter for another by following a pattern. Regardless, something told you solving the cypher the correct way was a test - there was a reason Erwin included the rest of the documents on the file for others to see. There was no way nobody in his elite team hadn’t solved this yet, meaning having others give it a shot was not to find a solution, but to confirm it. _So that leaves only one choice, finding the key._

Taking another sip of your now cold coffee, you sighed and gave your full attention to the rest of the items on the file: the biopsy report, and photographs. 

There was nothing particularly off about the biopsy report. Time of death, somewhere between 1 and 2 pm as established in the quick notes you jotted down earlier, cause of death a sliced nape. There was some blood loss from the wound and the amount of time it had laid on the ground, and it looked like a small puncture wound could be seen near the slash as well though no foreign substances were found in the body. 

_So there was nothing injected into it. Hmm._

You wondered how they managed to always make the crime scenes look so clean without signs of struggling if nothing was injected to make the victims stop fighting. That had been your first suspicion at least, upon seeing the picture.

Bruises were present in the body’s wrists with the left one showing a sprain from some sort of blunt force impact, purple blooming all around it. Other than a few scrapes, nothing else was noted. This also meant the killer was not abusing their victims. 

_Thankfully._

A small note was made on the page margin indicating the husband said Ilse’s earrings were missing.

_Meaning the bastard took a souvenir. Not rare in these cases, sadly._

The pictures were always the hardest to look at, so you had left those for last. Reluctantly, you shifted your gaze towards them now.

The first photo was of the cut on the back of the neck. It was a deep and precise cut, practiced almost. 

_Which would make sense being how this sicko has been doing this for a while._

Other photos included the front of the body, a close up of the sprained wrist, wearing a broken mechanical wristwatch, a picture of the note and one of Ilse’s open mouth with the note still inside before it was removed. 

Taking out your notepad, you started writing down things that stood out to you. 

_Gash on the nape of the neck seems to have been made using a single, deep cut. No jagged edges and cut deepness pointing towards significant physical strength from the killer. Broken wristwatch stopped at 4 pm on the dot._

_Close up of sprained wrist indicates blunt force used, significant bruising present around it. Handwriting on recovered note is not particularly identifying, letters are all evenly sized and spaced. No trauma evident on mouth or tongue pointing towards the note being placed post mortem._

Putting your pen down, you drank the last of your coffee and glanced around you. The now empty coffee enveloped you in its dim light, headlights from the vehicles passing by illuminating your shape occasionally. The chatter had slowly died down and only the owner and yourself remained, having become friends after several years of patronage, they never hurried you or asked you to leave until it was inevitably time to clean and close shop.

Though your mind burned with questions, the wheels doing their best to turn, your eyes were heavy with exhaustion. Even the coffee you had recently consumed was of little help. Of course, drinking it as often as you did, it was normal for its effects to be dampened. 

Grudgingly, you had to admit it was time for a break, even as the words spread across the table remained unsolved.

 _I did promise Mike I wouldn’t stay up too late looking at these, and there are still reports to write from this week’s work. But something doesn’t seem right_. 

Running a hand through your hair, you considered going home. Maybe a quick nap was what you needed to let your ideas rest. After all, you hadn’t slept much this past year. 

_Not since...that happened._

The unwarranted memories always came when you least expected them to. 

Shaking your head to dispel the intrusive thoughts, you picked up your things and stuffed them in your bag, paid for the coffee and left. 

Your small apartment was barely a mile from the establishment, there was no need for a car and thus you walked. 

Not many people were out this late, especially alone and so you took comfort in the empty streets, vaguely illuminated by only the lamp posts and stars above.

The lone sound of your footsteps echoing on the sidewalk as the newly started drizzle kissed your skin soothed you. It was a beautiful night really. If you didn’t mind rain. 

Little puffs formed around you as you walked, the cold air painting your breath. Closing your eyes to enjoy the droplets falling on your skin, you walk towards your apartment, the emptiness of the street reminiscent of the lonely walls awaiting you. 

-

Taking off the long red ribbon from your hair, you stepped into the shower. The water, so much warmer than the rain had been, soothed you and helped wash away a bit of the tiredness weighing you down. 

_Now think. What could the key to the cipher be. You got this, Freya._

Thinking back on the scarce contents of the file, not many things could be the lead you were searching for, yet you still went through them one by one in your head. 

The murder weapon was never found on any of the scenes, it was obviously a very sharp knife, so that couldn’t be the hint, it was too easy. 

Though the missing earrings were mildly interesting, serial killers tended to take souvenirs, they were unlikely a hint either. They had apparently been a past anniversary present. Her husband had been devastated, stating they would be celebrating again in 2 month’s time. 

Poor Ilse had died just a few hours before her husband returned. 

_She didn’t even get to see her anniversary. The killer’s timing is really awful_ . _Perhaps their anniversary date could be the clue? Shifts require a numerical key and special times in people's lives are a common one._

Wait. You thought about that once more as the water ran down your closed eyes.The timing. 

_Time. The watch_. 

Your eyebrows bunched together in a thoughtful frown. Ilse had died between 1 and 2 pm. But her watch had stopped at a different time: 4 pm. Not only that, but also the wrist it was on had been bruised from blunt force trauma. 

_So they had hit her with something. Breaking the watch on purpose_. 

It was also a mechanical watch, which would make changing the time in it fairly simple. 

_The key. A simple number, left behind on purpose._

That had to be it. It was simple enough that anyone could find it, if they knew how, making it the perfect clue. Quickly stepping out of the shower, barely bothering to dry yourself, you went to look for some pen and paper, leaving a trail of water across your apartment.

You pulled out the cipher and checked the letters used, small drops falling from your headband dotting the contents of the paper:

_“Mx pssow ew xlsykl qc tvizmsyw kmjx aew yrettvigmexih. Wmrgi mx pssow pmoi syv texlw gvswwmrk mw mrizmxefpi, M ibtigx csy ampp qeoi xli glewi qsvi mrxiviwxmrk. Psso jsvaevh xs lievmrk jvsq qi ekemr.”_

Then you chose your number key, the same as the time on Ilse’s broken watch : 4.

You were a bit rusty but you still remembered the basics to this type of cipher. First step was enumerating the alphabet with the letter “A” being equal to 0. 

This meant the first letter in the phrase, “m,” would be equal to 12. Now here was where the key came into play. 

_I wish I had kept that cipher solving wheel I made with my mother now. This is a bit of a pain to do manually._

The key was number 4. If you were encoding a message, as the killer had done, you would _shift_ each letter in the message by 4 letters towards the right of the alphabet, meaning the M would become a Q. 

This was because while M represented a 12, Q represented a 16 which would indicate a successful shift of 4. In this way, you could simply _shift_ the entire alphabet, substituting letters accordingly.

However, you were _decoding_ a message, so you instead moved each letter _back_ by 4 instead, making the M, the 12th letter in the cipher’s alphabet, turn into an I, the letter assigned an 8. You then only had to repeat the same process with each letter.

_At least I didn’t try this with every letter of the alphabet like I originally wanted, that would have taken forever. Still, what a pain._

Slowly but surely, you started decoding the message. M turned into I, X into T and so on. 

Several minutes later, your work was done and the message was no longer gibberish. Putting your pencil down, you stretched your tired muscles and read the newly decoded message. 

“It looks as though my previous gift was unappreciated. Since it looks like our paths crossing is inevitable, I expect you will make the chase more interesting. Look forward to hearing from me again.”

_Well that’s not good. It sounds like they will definitely strike again. Now all that is left to figure out is who the next victim will be and trying to protect them before they do._

You were quite pleased with solving the puzzle, but worried that your clock, unlike Ilse’s was ticking away, inching closer to the next victim’s demise with each passing minute. 

-

_Tick, Tock_

The minutes kept ticking by, the wristwatch on your right hand reminding you to pick up the pace. This building was so large in comparison to your previous workspace with Mike that you felt almost swallowed by it. 

You were starting to feel a bit antsy about not having found the office number you had been given yet, your sighs increasing with impatience, your body making shadows on the wall behind you from the slowly increasing amount of light. 

The box in your hand seemed, paradoxically, to be increasing in heaviness with each passing second and , to make matters worse, you had somehow forgotten to do laundry with all your nervousness, meaning you were stuck wearing a dress as opposed to your usual black slacks. 

Not that there was anything wrong with that, but it was harder to move around with a dress as opposed to pants. 

_It also makes me stand out more, which is not ideal. And requires a different type of shoes as well, semi comfortable flats instead of sturdier shoes like boots._

A few more turns around the hallway, you were finally in front of the office you had been assigned, happy to finally be able to rest your arms. Despite it all, you were excited for the fresh start, a new team.

_I wonder who my new partner will be._

You would be meeting with Erwin and the rest of his staff in a few hours to introduce yourself, but you’d probably meet your partner before then. You knew you would probably be working under the famous head detective Ackerman, but had not yet heard who your direct work partner would be. 

Still lost in your thoughts, you opened the door to be greeted by your new work space. 

_Oh, I could definitely get used to this,_ you thought happily.

Behind the open door, a large room with beautiful mahogany desks and a large bookshelf greeted you. One of the desks was situated right next to a large window looking out into a small garden within the building, both clear of any items and, from their immaculate looking surface, had been recently polished and cleaned.

A small table situated in a corner of the room housed an electric kettle, a couple of cups and some delicately labeled metal tins that probably contained tea. 

_How nice of them!_

Eyeing both desks, you strolled towards the one near the window and dropped your box on top of it with an exhale. 

Since they were both empty, this probably meant none of them were claimed yet and, you hoped, your new partner would probably not mind you having first dibs.

After adding your cup next to the kettle, you carefully took out your stationary and several pencils and color pens before dropping into your chair happily. 

It was a comfortable swivel chair, which made you immediately start spinning a bit, forgetting yourself for a second. 

You were smiling to yourself as you looked out the window, enjoying the view. Your chair slightly swayed as you half spinned and tried to think of the day ahead making you so distracted you didn’t hear the door open. 

“Oi, What do you think you are doing.”

A deep, male voice with a slightly annoyed tone dragged you back to reality.

Snapping your head to the source, you found a crossed arm man, leaning against the door and staring you down with an impatient look on his face. He was wearing a pristine looking white dress shirt, neatly buttoned up. His suit jacked hung from one of his arms, dismissively elegant. 

“E-Excuse me?” you were not one to stutter, but you had been halfway through thinking what type of flowers could grow in the small garden outside the window, Old memories fondly circulating your mind when he interrupted you. 

“I said what do you think you are doing. You know, sitting at my desk and leaving a mess on top of it as well to top it off.”

_Oh._

It seemed your conclusion of the desks being unclaimed was wrong. 

“Uhm, I apologize, was there a misunderstanding? Both desks were empty when I came in.”

The glare on his face only deepened at those words, icy grey eyes narrowing, looking at you from under neatly cut black hair. You sunk a bit deeper in your chair, everything had looked so _new_ that it just _seemed_ to be unoccupied. Anyone could have made that mistake. Surely he was overdoing the anger. 

“Of course they were. Why would I leave any filth behind at the end of the day. Most importantly, what are you even doing here.”

_So much for leaving a good first impression._

This man, whoever he was, must be your new partner _._ Not only that, but you had taken their desk and they seemed to be in a bit of a mood as well. 

_Maybe they weren’t a morning person. Y_ ou weren’t either so you couldn’t really blame them if that was it. 

Thinking this was all a clear misunderstanding and hoping he would simmer down, you took a closer look at your supposed partner. His carefulness in attire transcended to his appearance as well, hair neatly combed and styled in some sort of undercut style. 

Steely grey eyes, the same ones he used to glare at you with, decorated his delicate face. His defined jawline and sharp nose gave him a stern, indifferent look. 

Suddenly realizing that you never stopped spinning side to side in your chair, let alone the fact that you were staring, you planted your feet on the ground and stood up, smoothing out the wrinkles in your dress, suddenly self conscious about the differences in your attires and held out your hand with a smile. 

“Nice to meet you! I’m Detective Reader and you must be my new partner!” 

The grumpy man glared even harder at your words and, frankly, it was starting to irk you. He ignored your hand and strutted towards you, looking down at your eyes.

_Because of course even this short stack of a man was still taller than you._

“I did not ask for a partner, nor did I approve of one, now get out, I have-.”

“-You have the job of showing her around the office. Yes.” Both of you turned at the sound of a new voice. Standing near the entrance was a tall bespectacled woman with wild yet beautiful brown hair pulled back into a ponytail, a smirk lighting up her face. 

“Says who, four eyes?” was all he said, crossing his arms once more and, thankfully, finding a new recipient for his glar

“Says Erwin!” answered the woman with a laugh. “You must be Ms. Reader,” she said, turning to you. “I have heard so much about you! I heard you solved the cypher in just one day. Impressive, even shorty here took a couple to do so.” 

At this, the man turned to look at you once more. Though his eyes still held a glint of annoyance, there was something else in them as well now that looked like surprise. Still annoyed at his earlier outburst though, you decided to ignore it and turn your attention to the new person in the room instead.

“I am! Call me Freya, please. It is really nice to meet you.” 

You intentionally made no mention of her comment on the cypher, it had really not been that big of a deal and you didn’t want to make your new partner dislike you even more, if that was possible. 

She did not seem to mind, thankfully. Instead, she half jumped up to you to surround your shoulder with one arm, surprising you. 

_At least it's preferable to getting glared at first thing in the morning._

“I’m Hange Zoe!” she informed you chirpily, “I'm the head of the forensics department so let me know whenever you need anything. I am really excited to welcome you to our team! You can call me Hange by the way.”

Gratitude flooded through you at her kind words. Last names weren’t really your thing and you were happy to see another woman in such an important position. Hange must be brilliant to hold such a prestigious title at her young age. Both her and the man appeared to be in their early thirties. 

Noticing your smile, she continued.

“This runt right here is Levi and-”

“Oi,” Levi interrupted her, still looking at you to clarify, “It’s Detective Ackerman to you.” 

_Oh. THIS is detective Ackerman? The rumored best?_

Not only was he not what you expected, but also you had no clue why you had been partnered up with him. He was famous for turning down others to work with.

The thought made your stomach clench. Not had you gotten off on the wrong foot, it looks like you had managed to annoy the famous man himself. 

“Oh. I have heard lots about you. Didn’t expect to be paired up to be honest,” you voiced. Sure, you had earned a spot in the team, but you were nowhere near good enough to be paired up with the head detective. 

“Nor will we be,” he retorted, “I will be talking to Eyebrows about this after Four Eyes shows you around, trust me-” 

_Eyebrows?_

But Hange cut him off, 

“-Nope. Too bad shorty, get started with your tour. Erwin is out on a meeting with the boss and I have new interns to train. We just had a new influx of new faces after the funds got reallocated.” If she was bothered by Levi’s short temper, she did not show it, hinting at their friendly relationship.

“Besides, that is the reason I am here. He told me to remind you that this is an order and that you promised him something or the other,” she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. 

Her statement only made Levin stiffen his back. You were unaware of what this promise she mentioned could mean, but clearly Levi did and it seemed to bother him immensely. It seemed he was just as stuck in this situation as you were.

Letting off your shoulder, Hange walked over and patted Levi’s on her way to the door. Before leaving, she turned and gave you another wide smile,

“Have fun! Don’t be too scared of him, Freya. He may look scary but he is a total softie once you get to meet him.” 

Thinking of her statement, you wondered just how blind Hange was. This man looked as soft as a double edged sword. 

Releasing an irritated huff, Levi ignored her comment, finally lifting his glance to show off his exasperated but calm face, seemingly resigning himself to his current role. 

Turning around, Levi walked out the door, stopping only briefly to glance over his shoulder and address you.

“Tch. Well, don’t expect me to slow down. I’m busy. Hurry up.” 

-

Levi wasn’t kidding about not slowing down. For someone so close to you in height, he was infinitely faster. As he walked ahead of you, a passive look on his face, the man pointed out separate rooms all the while maintaining a brisk and unforgiving pace.

“That is the intern office. To your right is one of the break rooms, don’t waste too much time there. Bathrooms are down the hall and to the left” 

On and on he went, merely pointing, never stopping as you tried to keep up. 

He may be the best detective, but he was definitely awful at showing people around. The relentless pace his legs moved at and the quick way he mentioned what each door represented made you doubt you would remember much about the place after this so-called toru was done. 

Making a mental note to ask Hange to show you around properly later, you continued to walk as quickly as you could after him. She had seemed nice, so you felt she wouldn’t mind. Besides, you thought, the weekly meetings in between teams were standard so you knew an opportunity would come up to speak to her soon enough. 

Your full attention was now on the short man in front of you. 

“Can I ask you something, Levi?” you were a bit out of breath from following him around, maybe talking would make him relax a little.

“You already did.” he answered back with no hesitation. 

Hah. He was one of _those._ Not that you would let that stop you. Plus, you had to admit, you were a bit curious. Your earlier conversation had left you with more than a few questions.

“Why did Hange say you owed Erwin a promise, or something like that.” And at those words, he finally stopped. 

_Thank the walls, I really needed to breathe._

“For one, don’t call me Levi.” He said with a slight sigh. More guarded than annoyed, you noticed. He took a small hesitating breath before continuing, “Also, that is none of your business. All you need to know is that Eyebrows wants you here for some reason and it seems like I need to babysit you because of it.”

You had no clue how he could dislike you so much already. You had just met the man maybe 15 minutes ago. Hange also said he was _soft,_ which you honestly couldn’t see, unless she was referring to the look of his neat hair. 

“Well, Levi,” you said, ignoring his request to stick to last names, that was something you never truly liked. Especially with someone you were meant to trust with your life in the future. “It certainly looks like it is. After all, it seems that is the reason you are stuck with me.” 

You were getting increasingly vexed at his aggressiveness. You had done nothing wrong, if anything, you were trying to help out. 

“Tch.” He crossed his arms and leaned against the wall, seemingly contemplating whether to answer you or not as he stared out the window. 

You knew Erwin’s word was as good as law in this precinct,so if he wanted Levi to be your partner, he had little choice in the matter. 

“Did you really solve the cypher in one day, brat?” His eyes were now scanning your face for any signs of a lie, the stunning color reacting to the light now shining through the windows beside you. 

“Yes…” you answered with a sigh. He hadn’t answered your question, but at least he was talking. 

_And not making you chase him around the corridors._

Levi gave a small grunt, acceptance, it seemed. You were quickly catching up on the fact that he was not very talkative, but it was obvious he was deep in thought. Despite no longer looking at you, he hadn’t moved an inch, something you took as a good sign to keep speaking, but he beat you to it at the last second. 

“How did you solve it?” 

Hange said it had taken him a couple of days and so you didn’t know entirely if his curiosity was based on interest, aggravation, or something else. Maybe all of them. 

No one else in your department had volunteered to solve the riddle when it was presented, and many who had tried from other teams had failed. 

As far as you knew, only one other person outside of Erwin’s department had solved it, though upon being questioned about their methods, they had admitted to simply substituting each letter in the alphabet, one by one like you had decided not to do. 

“The wristwatch,” you answered, knowing he was asking for confirmation that you had taken no shortcuts to the answer. “It was mechanical and the hour on it was wrong, so it had to have been messed with. There was also trauma on the wrist using it so they broke it on purpose to be trifled with as well.”

Levi nodded at your words. He probably had reached the same conclusions as you had. This time, when he looked at you, there was only resignation. “I guess there's no helping that then. Come on.” 

He started walking again, slower this time. You noticed he now stopped behind each door he pointed out, giving you the time to peek inside as he named their contents, though he still tapped his foot impatiently if you took too long for his liking. Regardless, you appreciated the change.

People seemed to move naturally to the side as he approached, nodding at him, barely anyone speaking. Knowing it probably annoyed him though, and wanting to meet everyone you would be seeing everyday as well, you decided to greet everyone you passed. 

After a few minutes of this activity, he called you out on it, which made you smile innerly. You were determined to fix your previous mistakes and get along with your new partner. 

“Do you have to say hi to every single person in the district. What are you, a kid?” You could tell he was only half annoyed from the way his face was relaxed as he spoke. There were, thankfully, no glares this time. 

“I’m only being nice, these are people we will be working with everyday. Plus I have to make up for your grumpiness somehow, right?” You expected him to be mad at that, but instead it looked like the start of a smirk was showing from the corner of his mouth. 

“Tch. Don’t get too attached.” he said, rolling his eyes. “The turn over rate is high, not everybody is cut out for this type of job. Besides, once you get your workload assigned, you will mostly be working in the office, not with others.” 

He paused before adding the next statement, “Also, you will also be moving your stuff from my desk. I will teach you where everything goes once we get back to the office and teach you how to properly clean as well. I’m not a big fan of filth.”

“Hmm.” Your eyes saddened a bit at those words. You liked that desk. It was right next to the window, meaning you could have something nice to look at while you had a cup of morning coffee. And an afternoon one. Maybe a snack cup of coffee as well. 

You had also already started organizing your stationary in it before he walked in this morning and were thinking of getting a small plant for the windowsill. Perhaps keeping a snack drawer. 

“What. It’s not that big of a deal. You can always talk to them during your breaks. And cleaning isn’t that hard.” He had misunderstood what you disliked from his previous statement, but that was fine by you. 

You wanted to make as little of a fuss as you could, being new and all. Besides, you could come up with a way of convincing him to switch desks later on. Maybe.

“Brat?”

“Oh. Sorry. Just thinking. Anything else?” Your response probably sounded odd after a full morning of speaking to so many people, very short and direct, but you had other things in mind now. Mostly how you had not had anything to eat so far and your stomach was starting to chastise you for it. Very loudly too.

Levi, seemingly unbothered with this, started walking back towards the office, which you were thankful for, maybe it was break time soon? He walked in silence for a bit, surely lost in his own thoughts as you walked back. 

The corridors were now empty, people surely working the day away now inside their respective spaces and you were trying to memorize your way around when you noticed you were now in front of the office door, the short man leaning against it, apparently debating whether or not to say what was on his mind.

You were considering whether to try and open the door from behind him when he cleaned his throat and spoke.

“I… I know I am not the easiest person to work with all the time.” He said hesitantly. 

_So this is his normal attitude then. Here I was thinking he was just having a bad day._

“But I will try and be tolerable as long as you are.” He said, finally opening the door and, surprisingly, holding it open for you as well. 

“You can keep the desk for today, but I expect it to be empty and ready for me tomorrow.” With that, he walked over to the long mahogany perpendicular to yours and sat down, ignoring you after having spoken his mind. 

-

Another hour had passed, and you were trying but failing to suppress your hunger while Levi worked at his desk. While he seemed to be buried in paperwork, you had nothing to work on as of yet since your assignment was yet to be delivered. 

You had tried sneaking glances at him to see if he suggested a break to eat, back at your previous office people had just gone as they wanted and eaten at their desks if they so pleased, but you had an inkling that Levi would not appreciate food anywhere near this pristine space. 

Sighing in defeat, you tried to entertain yourself with a variety of activities including swaying in your chair, making a list of the things you wanted to add to the office space, provided Levi did not object much, daydream about the food you were missing out on, and trying to sketch the office space surrounding you. 

“What do you want.” You looked up from the scrap sheet of paper you had been doodling in. You hadn’t spoken, so you frowned as you looked your partner in the eye. 

“You have been staring at me for the past hour, brat. What do you want.” 

You blushed at that, unaware that he had noticed, but your stomach answered for you, rumbling loudly in the silence that followed, making your cheeks warm up even more. Releasing a silent gasp, your eyes widened as you grabbed your stomach. Now would probably be the perfect time to ask where you could get something to eat, or drink at least. 

“You need to use the bathroom? You should know where they are now.” He said dismissively, making your blush intensify further as he returned to his paperwork. 

_He thought you were too shy to use the restroom? Of course._

“Uhm. It’s not that.” You said, shyly. “I just-” you stuttered a bit.

“What. Just spit it out.” came the sharp response, a bit more annoyed now. “I need to finish this work before the meeting today.”

“I’m starving! I haven’t had anything to eat yet, and it’s nearly noon now. I don’t know what the procedure is but I didn’t want to bother you to ask since you seemed busy,” you said innocently. It was partly true. 

You had not wanted to bother him, since you felt bad after the long tour he had given you, but also you had no clue what type of food they had around and were hoping he would get some himself so you could follow. 

“Tch.” He said with a smirk, still not looking up from his work. “So that is what that horrifying sound was. You can have food whenever, but they usually have snacks during meetings as well and that is coming up soon if you feel like waiting. Other than that, I have some tea you can use for now if you want.” 

While that was surprisingly nice of him, you grimaced. Why somebody would choose to drink tepid water when they could flavor it with delicious coffee beans was besides you. Levi did seem like the type, admittedly. You could not picture him drinking anything that could stain his clothes that badly if dropped. 

Not that you dropped your drinks accidentally... Often. 

“I don’t like tea. It tastes like dirty dishwater to me.” You said, scrunching up your face as you recalled the last time you had tasted tea. If only you had a camera to capture Levi’s scandalized face when your words reached his ears. This had been the most emotion you had seen on his face since you met him earlier today. 

_So tea is important to him. Noted._

“You did not just say that. Although I guess with your unrefined taste, I shouldn’t be surprised.” 

Oh _he_ did not just say _that._

There was absolutely nothing wrong with you, as far as you could tell. You were wearing a nice, clean blue dress, your usual ribbon on your hair and a sweater to protect yourself from the cold. 

As far as you could tell, the desk you definitely did not intend to give back anymore was perfectly clean as well. 

“Take that back,” you retorted, slightly higher pitched. “I look perfectly fine.” You took great offense to his comment after having been so meticulous with your first day appearance.

“Tch. Perfectly like a kindergartener. What are you, five? What grown woman still wears a ribbon in her hair.” 

You could tell he was now trying to get a reaction from you from the amused tone of his voice. That ribbon was important to you, though. It had been a gift. It was a wide velvet ribbon that had been given to you by someone special, and you made a point of wearing it every day. Plus, it's not like he was one to speak.

“Oh, I’m sorry, grandpa. Not all of us sport 17th century wear as good as you.” You had chosen not to mention the ridiculous cravat at his neck before, but he was really asking for it now, so mimicking his previous stances, you crossed your arms as you glared at him. He was making it hard to get along with him as pleasantly as you had hoped.

“What do you mean.” He said, eyes now narrowed in annoyance. “My outfit is perfectly suitable for our work environment,” he said, waving an arm towards his clothes.

“I mean that piece of white cloth around your neck. You complain about my hair being childish but you wear a cravat instead of a tie. If you wanted to look dorky, you could have even gone for a bowtie instead.” Levi stood up, clearly worked up, and looked like he was about to throw you out when a voice interrupted.

“Hey both! Erwin is back so we're having our meeting early!” Hange said excitedly. 

_Finally, a friendly face. A friendly friend bringing news of food which is even better._

Happy for the interruption, you grabbed your sweater and walked after Hange, who was already heading towards the conference room you would be using, not without turning to see your partner’s sulky face first. 

_Maybe I went too far…_

You did tend to get too comfortable with others sometimes and mocking him had not been entirely professional, but despite having known him for so little, he seemed to be gifted at getting on your nerves already. Not many people could do that. In fact, the last person who had managed was… you shook your head.

_Not the time or place._

Levi seemed a lot quieter as he walked behind you and you had to admit it was unnerving. Though you guessed your previous inference of him being a quiet person was probably right, you still preferred to maintain a cordial relationship with your co-workers, especially your main work partner. 

You would have to make it up to him somehow if you had truly offended him. All thoughts were dismissed however, once you entered the conference room and smelled the refreshments, making a beeline for the coffee pot to pour yourself a cup and grabbing a sandwich and some cookies as well from the offerings in front of you. 

You noticed most people were already seated, some of the faces familiar from your earlier stroll, and that the only person not grabbing coffee was Levi who seemed to be pouring himself some tepid dirty dish water from a teapot closeby. 

You chose to sit next to Hange who was sitting next to Arlert, finding comfort in their familiar faces, and some of the other people you failed to recognize. Surprisingly, Levi took the seat next to yours and then the tall blonde man in front of the room, Erwin, you supposed, cleared his throat and began the meeting. 

He sounded as impressive as he looked, his booming voice matching his tall stature and stern face. He had sparkling yet calculating blue eyes and was dressed impressively, his clothes appearing more expensive than his salary should be able to afford, but you knew this was part of his persona; he represented all of you and wanted to look the part. 

The first part of the meeting was mostly a debriefing of their new cases as well as updates on small, current ones. Hange stood up at one point to update everybody on the status of their requests, passing folders around to those who needed them and then it was time to introduce the new members of the team to the veterans. You groaned internally a bit, you had never been good at this type of thing and the meeting was already starting to feel a bit too long.

First to go were the heads of their respective departments. Hange introduced herself as the head of forensics and Armin as their right hand and biopsy expert with trainee Annie. A young looking man named Marco was introduced as their assigned intern followed by others. 

As the names sounded around you, your best efforts were made to memorize them all- Sasha, a brunette in charge of toxicology with her intern, Connie. Oluo, Gunther and Petra, experienced detectives in charge of new recruits who were taking on interns Eren, Mikasa and Jean. Two women named Ymir and Historia were in charge of crime scene investigation and had interns Reiner and Berthold. While all the names were starting to mix you up a bit, you had no time to catch up as Erwin asked you to introduce yourself next.

“Miss Reader is the newest permanent member of our team. She was transferred here today from the Zacharias team after solving our little challenge. Is there anything you would like to say, Miss Reader?”

Hesitantly, you shyly stood up and glanced at your hands, you were used to being behind books, doing work behind the scenes, not talking to a crowd. 

“Uhm… You all can call me Freya. Thank you for accepting me in your team.” Several eyes were on you. The redhead, Petra, was smiling encouragingly while others, such as Sasha, ignored you, more interested in the food. 

“Anyway. I hope I can be of help with the case.” You said as you sat down, as quickly as you could and let out a sigh, catching Levi giving you a curious side glance. At least you could now take a bite of your food to keep it busy instead of talking. 

Noticing your discomfort, Erwin proceeded with the meeting and brought up the topic you really wanted to hear, the case you would be working on.

“Thank you, Miss Reader. We are definitely lucky and happy to have you. We will now be discussing our serial killer case. Hange, if you could kindly pass the folders around.” 

This time, you got your own so you excitedly opened it to the first page, prepping the colorful pen you had brought with you. 

As you did this, you did not fail to notice a slight smirk over his cup from the man next to you as he leaned in and whispered in your ear “Is it coloring time now, brat?” but you ignored him, it was time to finally get down to work.

“As you can all see, there is a list of all victims we have connected to the case. There are also some pages denoting the interviews with the families of said victims, with the names of those that could be potential suspects highlighted. Though the list of suspects is small, we hope this can change with Miss Reader on board now.” Your cheeks warmed up at that, feeling the stares of those around the table on you again. You were not fond of the statements Erwin was making nor the attention being focused on you.

“Some necessary pictures are also on file, along with detailed descriptions by our coroner, Arlert. Anyway, you can all look through it in your spare time. This week, we will be focusing on the family of the newest victim, Ilse. While I am sure you all are familiar with the details of the case by now, we will be contacting the husband for an interview so they can give us more information. We will also be checking in with the neighbors to see if they saw anything unusual as well as talking with the victim’s coworkers. As for assignments, Ymir and Historia’s team will be talking to the neighbors while Detective Ackerman and Detective Reader talk to the husband and coworkers. I expect a report on all new findings. Feel free to talk to the other experts around you that have worked on the case if needed. That will be all for today. Dismissed.”

This was definitely a change from the meetings you had with Mike’s team. Usually, there was a lot more bantering for one. People talked about their weekends and what they were looking forward to during the week but then, this was the elite and main team in Shiganshina, you should expect nothing less. 

As people started to get up around you, chattering amongst themselves on their way out, you let an excited smile show on your face. 

The real work was about to begin. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope that was not too long, or too boring! I wanted to introduce the plot and characters from the get go and write longer chapters instead of breaking them up into smaller ones but, if shorter, less long winder chapters are preferred i'm open to consider that as well. 
> 
> This chapter was a bit hard to write because it felt a bit all over the place but I tried to make it flow as good as possible nevertheless. If you are still confused about the cypher, definitely let me know as well. I did my best to explain it but I know it can be a bit confusing to read if you are not used to it. This will also not be the only type of puzzle used so if it is not your thing, worry not!
> 
> Let me know your thoughts and suggestions :)


	2. Sonata

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A small glimpse into the past, a small step into the future. The investigation begins and more questions than answers arise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Isn't it lovely, all alone? Heart made of glass, my mind of stone.  
> Tear me to pieces, skin to bone.  
> Hello, welcome home.  
> Lovely - Billie Eilish

He had never asked for a partner. In fact, he had explicitly asked to have  _ no partner.  _ Of course, Eyebrows, true to his nature, had chosen to not only ignore him but also make him a babysitter in the process. 

_ Typical. _

Levi knew the work was too much for one person, though he would never admit to it. After all, there was nothing he had but time. No family to spend time with, no significant other to take up his afternoons. 

Truth be spoken, he didn’t mind the distraction.

He knew it would be unavoidable in the end as well. Erwin had been pushing for a partner for months now. His constant excuses about how no one was competent enough were starting to sound empty, even to his own ears, less effective every time he tried to avoid the conversation. 

The one thing he wished was that he had been told, though he could understand the reasons he hadn't. They knew he would oppose it, possibly going as far as to contact the person and scare them off before giving them a chance if he was aware and thus he had been left in the dark, your arrival surprising. 

The new recruit was  _ interesting _ for sure, he had to admit as he recalled what he’d picked up on from your interactions together so far. 

When he had heard a detective from a different branch had managed to solve the cipher, he hadn’t been surprised. Doing one’s job was nothing special. Hell, those lazy ass bastards from different teams should do this more often. The uncommon part had been learning it had been solved in only a day. Levi himself had taken almost twice as long, and he was familiar with the crime scene in detail. 

He also had never expected the new recruit to look so  _ young.  _ You looked to be in your late twenties at the very most. When he first heard he had expected an older-looking person. 

_ Even if she dresses like a kindergarten teacher. Or student actually, with a silly dress and hair ribbon to match.  _

When Levi Ackerman walked into his office that day, he was not expecting a runt to be swinging around in his chair, his desk littered with colored pencils and notepads, a new cup added to his tea-table; disturbances in the peace he had so carefully crafted over the past few months. 

He had expected it even less when you had excitedly declared to be his new partner. He had innerly cursed Erwin the second she said that, remembering how he had annoyingly made him promise to accept a partner if he could find someone sharp enough to outwit him. Levi never expected he would actually succeed in that endeavor. 

It would have been impossible, that is why he had agreed to the ridiculous demand. Yet it seemed he had taken too long to solve the damned cipher. 

That bushy eyebrowed freak had taken the first opportunity to recruit her after she solved it quicker than him, her speed proof enough of success over him. As if taking care of four eyes helping the training team with the new interns wasn’t enough.

But Levi was a man of his word, and so he would swallow his complaints. For the most part at least.

Now his morning had been spent walking senselessly around the massive office giving your annoying self a tour and listening to you absentmindedly mumble to yourself, sometimes even humming without realizing it and it was driving him up the wall. 

Whether it was a tapping foot or the  _ swish _ sound the chair made as you swiveled in it childishly, silence eluded him all day. 

This was a great cause of chagrin for him, having been used to being the sole owner of his office for so long; he was not happy to share the space with others. There were many reasons he could list for this. 

The memories of his previous work partners and all the ways he had failed to protect them still punished him daily, making him strive to keep everyone away. It certainly did not help either who your carefree attitude, the way you were seemingly not afraid to speak your mind and call him out on his rudeness from day one reminded him of. The similarities in your perspective personalities were almost uncanny. 

_ She is almost like…No. Don’t think about that now.  _

He had tried to keep his apathetic mask on, had done his best to keep quiet, just like he did for everyone else, but he had failed; oddly quick at that too. Your wittiness amused him after all, not many dared talk back to him at all. It had been a while since he last was addressed in that manner. 

Some things that were said though, had vexed him. Making fun of his cravat, for one, was crossing a line. 

While aware that some people called it pretentious, no one had insulted his signature look in such a way before. The piece of clothing held a dear place in his heart, something he refused to share or take the time to explain to others. 

Curiously enough, you had been flustered around others despite the relaxed way you spoke to him, making his anger at her comments less pronounced. 

Levi had to admit the second half of his day, once Erwin had taken you away to let you know more about your new role, had been uneventful. The Chief had wanted to introduce you to the rest of the team individually and so Levi had entertained himself by working on the rest of his cases, clearing up his schedule in advance to make the visit he had been assigned earlier that day.

_ They. The interview they had been assigned, not only him.  _

When you didn’t return to the office for the remainder of the workday, he left the door unlocked so you could clean your desk and give it back the next day, as he had asked. It was the least you could do, after all, in his mind. 

Putting his coat on, the detective walked out towards his car, ready to head home for the day. He couldn’t help thinking about the case as he drove in silence, nothing but the passing lights of the city to illuminate his way, trying to push the thoughts of the woman that already plagued his mind away for a bit. 

Levi had dedicated himself to his job years back, wanting to do as much as he could for humanity and so he tended to bring his work home with him. It was the least he could do after having been given the opportunities he had. He had once been no different from the criminals he now persecuted, hiding in the shadows.

Though it was only a Monday, he was already planning ahead, thinking of how to properly spread out the work to advance the case as best as he could. These were his all-encompassing thoughts as he arrived at his destination, climbing the stairs up to his apartment. He could have afforded to live in a different place, a better side of town, but Levi was never picky. 

It was a simple two-bedroom, a small kitchen and living room leading into either his office or bedroom, one of those rooms getting infinitely more use than the other. 

Well acquainted with his insomnia and the long, restless night ahead, he poured water into his kettle, heating up water for a cup of tea as he looked over the file he had brought home with him, carefully selecting the leaves to steep this time. 

Mindful to grab the cup by the rim instead of the delicate handle, he dragged his feet towards his office and sank down on his chair, teacup placed carefully on top of a saucer to prevent any stains in the wood.

There was not much to speak of in the room. A small, sturdy desk, nice enough for its purpose, comfortable chair, similar to the one from the office, and a bookshelf with previous case files. There were a few books here and there as well that he had brought with him from his previous home. 

Levi had not grown up with much, so the small apartment felt perfect to him; comfortable and clean. Most importantly though, it was safe. 

Situated on a higher floor, there was little chance for break-ins through the windows. The lock on his door would be hard to kick in. If all else failed, he also kept a gun in his office, just in case; a knife near his bed, hidden between the headboard and the mattress. Old habits die hard after all. 

It made sense to keep the better of the two weapons near his desk. After all, his bed would likely go cold tonight, lacking an inhabitant between its sheets. Just like it did every other night. 

In a different part of town, in a not so different apartment, another bed was similarly empty as its owner returned from their first day of work at a new office, too excited with the prospect of catching the killer to go to settle down yet. 

You had returned from work a bit later than expected, having taken a detour to buy your new partner a peace offering after consulting with a particular brown-headed woman. Kicking your shoes off near the entrance, nowhere near as neat as the man across town was, you paced around the rooms. 

Sweater tossed into the small table near the couch, the dress pulled over your body and dropped somewhere in the dark room. There was no one to chastise you for being messy anymore. 

After the long day you had experienced, you couldn’t help but reminisce about one of the many reasons you felt so close to this case, the promises you had made, and those you had failed to keep. The memories you tried to push away and those that refused to fade.

Walking to your room, you took off her hair ribbon, folding it and placing it carefully on the night table; the one item you cherished and cared for. Taking a brief glance at the bed, you walked back to the living room, laying down on the couch that felt more comforting than the cold, empty sheets. 

Trying not to remember, afraid to forget, you covered your tired body with a blanket that should have been replaced months ago but couldn’t bring yourself to get rid of. Its frayed edges reminded your body of a long-forgotten warm embrace. 

As the memories from the day replayed in your head, eyes slowly closing, you finally fell asleep to the sound of a quiet apartment around, nothing but the sound of slow, peaceful breathing interrupting the calm. 

Across town, the greyed eyed detective poured a second cup of tea, wide awake as he resigned himself to working until the dawn broke, wondering if someday  _ he  _ would find  _ his  _ peace. 

-

It was the cold that woke him, icy tendrils surrounding his pale skin. 

He always dozed off despite his best efforts, in the end, trapped by the nightmares crawling into his dreams every night. Faces of those he had let down, accusing eyes from those he had once dared love, voices he hadn’t heard in months, some of them years. 

All of them had one thing in common: they were  _ gone _ .  _ Dead.  _

He knew his job was a dangerous one, his past life before it even more so, but that did not make it any easier to accept and move on. In the end, the best he could do was ignore the pain, not let it control him. 

Rubbing the tiredness away from his eyes, Detective Ackerman stood up from his chair and stretched his weary muscles, feeling the familiar and comfortable strain. There had been a particular set of eyes he had dreamt of this night, those which had once made him feel like he had a family again once. 

The people he saw in his dreams seemed to take turns haunting him, but he knew to leave them behind in the shadows. Light would break soon, and so he pushed it to the back of his mind just like he always did. They could haunt his night all they wanted, but his days were for the living. 

Picking up his teacup from last night and the notes he had made little progress on, Levi walked towards his room and, seeing it was barely 3 in the morning, decided to shower before getting ready for the day. 

As he undressed, he pretended not to notice the scars that always seemed to yell at him from the mirror, reminding him that, no matter how he may look on the outside, he was the same underneath it all. No amount of fancy clothes could hide his past.

They were harder still to ignore with the brightness seeping in from the small window, the marks crisscrossing around him like both a safety blanket and a restricting rope. 

He had no regrets about his past though, it had landed him here and there was nothing he would do to change it, as much as that hurt to admit. 

_ No regrets. That is the only way to be at peace with your choices.  _

Stepping into his shower, he allowed the warm water to fall around him as he briskly washed his body and hair, thinking of what he should do with the remainder of his time before going into work. 

He usually arrived hours before everyone else did, especially after a particularly sleepless night, but he would be pushing it by heading out already. Plus, now that he would be sharing his office space with someone else, albeit reluctantly, he wanted to pick up some extra office cleaning supplies, maybe a small pencil container so the brat didn’t have her pens rolling all around his floor. 

_ Tch. As if a dozen stupid pens were needed for work. This was a detective force, for fucks sake, not a craft group.  _

He would definitely need to set some boundaries. He wanted to be accommodating, of course, but he was very particular about his space as well. 

After stepping out of the small cubicle and meticulously drying himself, Levi walked to his closet and picked out his outfit for the day. 

A crisp pair of black pants, a clean, ironed long-sleeved white dress shirt, and a nice jacket to match it all. He smirked as he tied his cravat around his neck, remembering how the new girl had compared him to a grandpa. 

He had to admit it was not the most common of things to be wearing, but he thought it was rather elegant so he didn’t mind. In fact, he may even be setting a trend in the office as well. He noticed Oluo had started wearing one recently after Petra complimented him on it. Plus, wearing it was oddly comforting. 

The white fabric felt soft and familiar under his fingertips. It was well maintained despite its constant use; he always took the utmost care when washing it. Sometimes, if he closed his eyes, he could almost hear the distant echo of a lullaby from many years ago as he wore it. It felt like  _ home _ , the only one he had known. 

Levi was not a very sentimental man, but he kept reminders of those he loved close to him. His cravat was one of them, other keepsakes stored carefully in his desk drawer in the other room. 

Satisfied enough with the way he looked, the man walked out the door, leaving the empty apartment to wait for him, just as it always did. Just as it had for as long as he could remember.

-

_ “Good morning, beautiful.” _

_ Deeply inhaling his scent, you slowly opened your eyes.  _

_ Raising your gaze, you took in the sight of his blue eyes with a happy sigh. His arm was still lazily wrapped around you, hair ruffled from his pillow as he gave your forehead a kiss. His chest was still bare from last night’s activities and you could see the remainders of your own advances fading away into small marks on his shoulders.  _

_ “Morning,” you managed to mumble out. You weren’t ready to give up the comfort of your bed, or his arms, just yet, but duty called. Slowly detangling yourself from his body, you stood up and stretched, the shirt you had stolen from him last night riding up as you did.  _

_ As you walked around the bedroom, collecting your clothes to get dressed, you could feel his gaze on your back. After a few seconds, a strong pair of arms hugged you from behind, his voice tickling your ear.  _

_ “Can’t you stay a bit longer?” He knew the answer already, and yet he asked, just like he did every morning.  _

_ “You know I can’t. Mike will be annoyed if I’m late again. Plus, I have to make a good impression, I’m still new to the team, remember?” You had recently joined team Zacharias and wanted to prove your worth, despite the adoring pout on your boyfriend’s face, begging you to come back to bed with him.  _

_ “Besides, we are meeting later today for dinner, remember?” _

_ Your mornings usually went like this. You would get up, begrudgingly, to leave for work. After however long it took you to come back, you would open the door to the scent of freshly made coffee and a hug. Ezra worked from home, meaning he was always there to greet you. Usually with food, always with a smile.  _

_ Today, you had a longer than usual work day so you had planned to meet up at your favorite restaurant instead. You had finally been a real case, one that did not revolve around parking tickets or petty theft. You knew it could be hard on him though, you staying out as late as you did sometimes. He tended to get lonely.  _

_ It had been almost a year now since you’d made your relationship official, though you had known each other for far longer. You had met Ezra through a mutual friend during college. Right after you spilled your drink on his shirt.  _

_ Several apologies, three hours of talking on a balcony, and one stolen kiss later, you had ironically decided to just be friends. That didn’t last long. The moon was probably laughing at you two that night as you made your unkeepable promise, the stars as witnesses.  _

_ Whether it was a flower he swore he had just picked up by coincidence as he happened to stumble upon you on campus, a cup of freshly made coffee when you were pulling an all-nighter, or a warm blanket wrapped around your shoulders as you watched fireworks with your friends, he had carved out a home in your heart.  _

_ When he asked to date you for the maybe fiftieth time, he was not actually expecting you to say yes but at that time, you couldn’t imagine anyone else you’d want to be with. You had blushed, looked straight into his eyes, and asked him to be with you.  _

_ Long afternoons together had turned into days. You were practically living together already, so you decided to move in. His clothes had taken up the empty space in your drawers, his body warming the cold spots in your bed. Now here you were, giving him a kiss before heading out. Your favorite routine.  _

_ Something was clearly on his mind, he had been quieter the past few days, slightly more distant. Maybe it was his work, he was due for a promotion soon and you knew he tended to show his nervousness by retreating into himself a bit.  _

_ You had first noticed this when you started dating, how the normally talkative man went quiet when nervous. It had never bothered you, he would usually voice his thoughts after a while, always trusting you to calm his fears. Just like he calmed yours.  _

_ As you held him against you, trying to memorize the way his tall frame felt protective around yours, the way his wide smile illuminated the room, all the things you loved about him before heading out for work, you told yourself not to worry. _

_ Looking over your shoulder before closing the door behind you, staring at the way his brown hair appeared almost gold in the early morning light, you had no way of knowing you this image, this beautiful memory, would be the last. _

Slowly opening your eyes, for real this time, you blinked at the ceiling above you. You tried to turn on your side, tried to find a warm embrace beside you, but were met with only the couch you were sleeping on, your bed empty in the other room. Ezra was gone, he had been for a while.

No one was there to beg you to stay behind. His scent was gone, the air around you was cold. 

Ignoring the hurt that still squeezed at your heart whenever he haunted your dreams, you looked at the clock. You had long since moved it from your bedroom to the living room, spending most of your time here. 

_ 7 AM. Rise and shine.  _

Stepping into the bedroom that was starting to look more unused with each passing day, you stretched until your joints popped. Memories jumped at you from any corner your glance lingered on, making it hard to spend longer than necessary here. You could have moved, but it felt almost like a betrayal to do so. A small, irrational part of you still expected him to burst through the door any day now.

You picked out your outfit for the day and went through your morning routine, tying the ribbon in your hair like he had done for you before, and looked at yourself in the mirror.

You knew you had changed. Your eyes used to be brighter, your smiles more frequent. Dark bags rested under your eyes, and your hair was longer. You had considered cutting it many times but always stopped yourself, remembering he had enjoyed brushing it for you, sometimes even braiding it. 

_ I’m being ridiculous. What would mom say if she saw you like this, Freya? You are stronger than this.  _

It’s not like you hadn’t tried to get over him. Reading groups, small get-togethers, you had even tried clubs, despite them not being your thing. The memory of sweating bodies, all of them trying to forget their own troubles for the night made you grimace. 

Once you felt like your eyes could spare no more tears, you had done your best to meet someone. In the end, though, it was all a waste of time. No matter how much tried, you would always think back to him and feel  _ wrong.  _

An arm would circle your waist only to feel too foreign. Lips would try to kiss yours and you’d feel nothing. You couldn’t replace the connection you were used to, the friendship you had slowly nurtured only to have it cut short much too soon. Every man you saw was a bit too tall, a bit too talkative, a bit too nice. Excuses. You simply wanted none of them. None of them were  _ him.  _

It frustrated you to no end. You  _ knew  _ you deserved to be happy. But you just weren’t ready. 

_ Just look what you did to me, you big jerk.  _

It was too early in the day to feel this sour. Concentrating on the face looking back at you from the glass once more, you forced yourself to smile. 

_ There you go. Remember, you have a job to do. Keep your head up. Keep your smile on. One day, you may just believe it is a real one. Besides, you don’t want to start looking like that short, grumpy man, do you? _

Thinking of Levi, you felt the corner of your mouth lift a bit more. You hoped today was a better day, maybe you could make up for how you acted yesterday. You even had a peace offering to give him once you arrived thanks to Hange and her advice. Both she and Petra had given you a second, better tour yesterday. 

Talking to them after meeting with Erwin had been nice. Hange filled you in about the personalities of your new team members, making you feel confident enough to talk to them next time you saw them. 

Petra had been all smiles and kindness and you could already feel yourself warming up to her as well. She seemed to have a soft spot for the moody jerk as well, praising how adept he was at training new recruits. 

Before you knew it, it had been hours and your first workday had ended. You had walked back to the office only to find it empty and thus you had walked by to Hange, asking her for a better way of apologizing for your actions. She had thought it was hilarious and tried to convince you there was no need, but you wanted to get along with everyone. 

Giving yourself one last look to make sure you were presentable enough, you walked back to the previous room and started shoving things into your bag for the day, grabbing your sweater from under the coffee mug you had distractedly placed on top of it last night. It thankfully did not look dirty. 

You were almost outside the apartment before you remembered to grab the paper bag on top of your table and placed it carefully at the very top of your bag. It would be awful to forget it after all the trouble you had gone through to acquire it. 

In your scattered state, you almost turned around once more, not wanting to forget to say goodbye before leaving, only to shake your head and walk out the door, pulling it shut behind you with an echo. 

-

Levi had been pleasantly planning out his week, pleased he had found a spot to place the new cleaning supplies he picked up when he was rudely interrupted by the newest addition to the team slamming the door shut on her way in. 

Rolling his eyes in exasperation, he glanced up to see what could possibly have possessed you to assault the door in such a manner, eyeing your frame. 

It seemed today’s outfit consisted of a flowy skirt, dress shirt, and, of course, that ridiculous ribbon. He had no way of knowing it, but the woman had taken great offense to his mocking of her dress the day prior and had decided to prove these types of outfits were perfectly acceptable and, dare she think, cute. 

Plus, you still hadn’t gotten around to doing laundry. There had been other things in your mind that occupied the previous afternoon. You would get around to it. Eventually. 

“Good morning, Levi!” you said with a slightly bothersome, chirpy voice. It had taken a bit, but you had slowly made the sadness retreat, becoming your normal self by the time you had finally reached the office. 

It was too early for conversations, he still hadn’t had his morning cup of tea, having been too distracted so far to make himself a cup, so he merely grunted in acknowledgment. 

“How was your day yesterday.” 

_ I guess she’s not stopping without an answer. _

“It was fine,” he said, but that, to his dismay, wasn’t enough of a conversation for her. Levi, unlike you, started his mornings quietly. He had enough talking from the voices in his head at night time. 

“Oh really, what did you do after I was gone? Miss me?” You said with a small smile. 

At that, Levi snorted. 

“Tch. As if. Finally got some peace and quiet after you were gone. Did the usual, work and all.” 

Contented with his conversational skills, he tried to get back to work when he was, once again, interrupted by the you who he was starting to consider an increasingly exasperating person. You were now walking to the desk perpendicular to his, picking up the small container on top. 

“Oh, did they give us more desk supplies? This pen holder wasn’t here yesterday. Also, I thought you said you wanted my desk back? It looks like you are sitting on the other one again.”

The pen holder had, in fact, not been given to them. Levi had bought one to keep their space more organized, but he wasn’t about to admit that so he just nodded. He may or may not have picked out the one he thought would match your stationery the best. All pastel and silly looking. 

Regarding the desk, it had been too littered with stuff he did not feel like cleaning himself, he enjoyed cleaning, but he wasn’t anybody’s maid so he had decided to use the second desk for one more day to see if you took the hint. 

He had also noticed a small ring of moisture on the desk surface that had not been there when he left the previous day, probably made from a cup being placed on it without a coaster. 

_ Note to self, buy coasters. This woman is too uncivilized. I’d lend her one of my tea saucers but it’d probably end up shattered on the floor before long.  _

“Oh, I got you something by the way!” 

That caught his attention for sure. Lifting his gaze from his notes once more, he saw you coming to him with a steaming cup he’d fail to notice before. Levi recognized what it was immediately. Nevertheless, he eyed her warily as he answered, “I thought you said you hated tea?”

“I do, but this is for you, Hange said it was your favorite. I got some leaves for you yesterday to apologize for being so rude. I realized that while we may be partners, you are definitely more experienced in this case. Maybe I shouldn’t have made fun of you. I don’t know. Just take it.” You said rapidly, stumbling over the words and shoving the cup in front of him. This, to his dismay, splashed a few drops on the floor in the process. Your cleaning load was only getting bigger, it seemed. 

_ I should just tie mops to her feet, maybe then she’d stop making a mess. They’d probably fit her outfits too.  _

“I didn’t mind the jokes. They were… a nice change of pace” he admitted as he lifted the cup suspiciously to his lips to cover the smirk he now sported as a result of his thoughts. It smelled fine, but it looked… odd. A bit too dark. The smell was also surprisingly strong. 

“Oh that’s good then, I was worried that-” but you were interrupted by a cough coming from the man in front of you.

_ What the hell is this, stale piss!? _

“Are you trying to murder me, woman?! Did you poison this? What is this, boiled ash?” Levi tried clearing his throat to dispel the unpleasant flavor coating his tongue. This was the worst tea he had ever had. He was about to express his extreme disgust when he saw your crestfallen face. 

Maybe he’d gone a bit too far. Even if the tea  _ was  _ horrendous. It was way too strong and tasted completely burnt as well. “How…. did you make this?”

Looking meekly at him, you had answered “I took a handful of the leaves, and threw them in the boiling kettle. For around. I don’t know, 10 minutes? Just while I drank some coffee.”

_ For fucks sake. Might as well have toasted the leaves and made him chew on them with a side of boiling water. What a waste of perfectly good leaves. Also, when in the world did she take my cup without me noticing? _

The explanation made sense. Though he wanted nothing more than to throw the cup back you and ask to throw its contents in the trash, he somehow found himself explaining instead.

“You are supposed to use way less than that. A teaspoon or two. And this is black tea, you boiled it for way too long, five minutes at most for most types. No wonder you don’t like tea, you probably have never had it properly made” He tried to take another sip to placate you, but it was so bad he grimaced. There was no way he could drink this. Maybe he should give it to Hange. 

“Oh, well I will keep that in mind for next time. ” 

_ Next time?!  _

There was no way he was touching anything brewed by your hands ever again. Putting the cup down on a saucer he kept nearby, Levi ignored her comment and went back to work. You both had a long day ahead.

“I think I’ve had real tea before though, just so you know.” 

A long day indeed. If he had wanted to hear someone talk to him all day, he would have gotten a parakeet.

“Listen brat, why don’t you go bother Petra if you want to chat, I really have to get this done.” He meant that in a kind way, Ral seemed to have taken a liking to the woman in front of him and would be a way better conversation partner than him, but you seemed offended at the suggestion; almost as though he’d asked you to get the hell out. 

“Fine, I’ll stop bothering you, I’ll just be here at my desk” you mumbled with a sad tone, finally sitting down at the desk you had chosen, thankfully not breaking anything on your way there.

_ Wait. That is my desk, not hers.  _

He was definitely getting that back tomorrow, he thought. 

As he continued to jot down notes, Levi stole glances at you occasionally. You were swaying in her chair again, a habit that seemed to be here to stay. The small pout on your lips as you distractedly looked through the newest file reminded him of the munchkin cat pictures Petra was always showing Gunther, he thought as the corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. 

_ That fits her. She is a little annoying munchkin of a woman. Probably the same size as one too.  _

Uncalled for, he remembered the last time he had seen a cat like that. It had been years ago, a previous lifetime. 

_ It had been raining outside, making him worry about her. She was never this late. He couldn’t help but worry about the girl, even though he knew she could take care of herself. One could never be too cautious around here. Levi was protective of those he loved.  _

_ His anxiousness had increased with each tick of the clock until he decided to go out and look for her if she took longer than five minutes to arrive when she burst through the door, hiding something under her sweater. Her hair was drenched from the downpour, sticking to her face in odd places, her feet leaving muddy imprints on his recently cleaned floor.  _

_ He had told her it was ridiculous, wasting what little resources they could get their hands on to feed another mouth they could not afford, but she had begged him, bright green eyes looking up at him pleadingly after she revealed the small, wet lump she claimed was a cat. She could not throw him back into the streets, she had said. “It’s a redhead, like me!” She had argued.  _

_ The poor creature was so malnourished it was half dead already. It was surprising no one had tried to eat it, food being difficult to find. Only she would see such a pitiful animal and immediately decide to bring it home.  _

_ “Fine,” he had caved, after wasting the better part of an afternoon explaining why it was a bad idea. “But you will clean up after them and make sure they stay out of my room.” _

_ She had jumped up and down with excitement and given him a hug. She was so happy over that poor excuse of a cat that he hadn’t even minded her getting hairs on his clothes.  _

_ “Thank you, big bro! I promise he will be good.” _

He wondered if the cat was still alive and, if so, who was taking care of it. He still recalled how it would greet him every day as he returned home, rubbing its filthy coat against his legs as soon as he crossed the door. 

She had taken him with her once she moved into her own place, leaving him with a cleaner floor, but emptier space. Her boyfriend hadn’t seemed to mind the pet as much as he had, wanting to make her as happy as he could. 

Levi was so distracted with his thoughts he took another sip of his tea, nearly spitting it back out once the flavor reached him. 

-

You took a sip of your delicious coffee as you looked through the files. 

Admittedly, you were still a bit offended over the “tea incident,” as you now called it in your head. 

You had spent a good forty minutes in the shop yesterday, finding the specific leaves Hange had said he liked best. 

_ “It has to be black tea. He likes simple blends, make sure it's not combined with other stuff or he will probably not drink it. He’s always talking about last year’s spring harvest so that is probably your best bet. Also, it is a bit more expensive than you think for a bunch of plant bits, are you sure?” _

The man in charge of the shop had given you a long lecture on the altitude they had been grown at, the time of the year they had harvested at, how to best prepare them. You could tell he didn’t get many customers from how excited he was at talking to you. 

_ Maybe I shouldn’t have spaced out for that specific part. Who would have thought it was so hard to boil plants.  _

Brewing the leaves hadn’t seemed so hard at first, though it was something you hadn’t done in ages. If only he knew the last person you had brewed tea for had begged you to do so. Sure, they had not been a great fan of it, but they hadn’t nearly spit it out in front of you like he had. 

_ But we do not think of him here, leave him at home, where he belongs.  _

At least you tried, you thought with a small shrug. 

Spinning a bit in your chair, you thought of the day ahead of you. Now that you had been given things to do, it would be way busier than yesterday. Not that you minded, it was exciting to dive into the case. 

First off, you had to finish going through the thick folder from yesterday’s meeting and take notes to make it all easier to memorize, just in case. After that, you figured you should ask Levi about the other cases and see if there was anywhere you could get access to the full files for them. There may be stuff there you had not seen before, having only vague summaries in your old department, and only what was deemed important in the file in front of you. 

After that, you guessed you would be both visiting Ilse’s husband, Mr. Langnar. 

Drinking the brew in your own cup, you re-opened the folder to scan through the information. There were, so far, four victims, plus Ilse, that had been linked to the murderer. A lot of these facts, you already knew. 

Victims were all older than 18, but none were older than 40 years old. There seemed to be no connection in their genders, race, or nationality so far, but, as far as serial killers went, five may just not be enough to set a cohesive pattern yet. All had died the same way, a precise cut in their nape. It seemed the killer had also taken a souvenir at each site, something that was previously unknown to you, but not surprising. 

You made notes in the margin of the papers as you flipped through them, trying to piece together what you had so far before the interview later today. Though you guessed Levi would be doing most of the questioning, having the most experience, you did not want to appear unprepared. 

He was currently out of the office picking up more documents from Erwin, so you had no way of asking for further details on the case file as of now. Not that you thought he would be very helpful in that sense, he was not fond of talking with you. Yet, at least. 

As you continued to flip through the victim’s details, you felt the familiar pain in your heart. Ilse was not the only one to leave behind others to mourn her.

One of the victims had been a student, living with her elderly parents who were now alone. Another had been a father of three children who now had to depend on their mother only. Not that the killer had cared, there was such variety that, so far, you doubted the attacks had been calculated. If anything, it seemed like all victims had simply been unlucky. The young girl had disappeared as she walked back from some sort of night school classes. The man had never arrived home from work. 

It was all similar, yet different. All of them shared a story. A tale of desperation as somebody stared at a clock, willing them to come home, hoping they were being paranoid, dreading the worst but daring to wish for the best, only to be torn apart when their worst fears were confirmed. You knew this all too well; you may be new to this case, but you had worked several before. 

Having finished going through the file, you started organizing your pens in the new holder in your desk. You had to remember to thank Erwin for his kindness, who knew they could be so accommodating. You had briefly mentioned you missed your workspace when meeting with him yesterday but you did not expect this coming in today. He had even managed to match it to your taste somehow. 

Levin didn’t seem to have any new items on his desk, you noticed. At least not at first glance. Unless he somehow had acquired a “warning, grumpy, antisocial man lives here” without you noticing. Curiosity getting the best of you, you walked towards his workspace to see if anything looked different. 

Unlike your slightly messy desk, his had a single pen and a set of neatly stacked files. The surface was so shiny you could see your reflection. 

A notebook was open in the middle, filled with the careful handwriting you recognized from the tins on the small refreshments table in the room. It was a precise, elegant cursive that reminded you of diaries your mother kept. Your own messy script did not compare. 

It looked like he had planned out his entire week in advance, down to the weekend. Several notes dictated who he had meetings with, places he needed to go to. The only thing that looked out of place was a poorly drawn doodle of a cat in the corner of the page. You noticed he had even made sure to add breaks where he’d allow himself to eat, and drink tea. 

_ Speaking of... _

The cup on his desk was empty, you noted with surprise. You didn’t see him toss it out, meaning he had drunk it all. For some reason, this made you happy. 

“Oi, not happy enough taking one of my desks, now you want two?” came the voice behind you. Surprised, you turned around so quickly you nearly knocked Levi off, he had been standing way closer to you than you thought. 

He looked irked, but not angry. More than anything, he looked curious and you wondered why he was standing so close. At this distance, you could see his eyes were more of a grey-blue than the previous sharp, icy grey they appeared at first. He didn’t give you a chance to answer before turning around and heading to the door. 

“Tch. Mind your own business, brat. And grab your stuff, we have an interview to make.”

-

Erwin had ordered them to visit Mr. Lagnar before the end of the day. Comfortable in what the procedure would be, Levi figured it’d be best to visit sooner rather than later and had headed back immediately to pick you up after the short meeting. 

When he walked into the office to see Reader, as he now called you in his head, snooping through his stuff, he had intended to reprimand you but was caught off guard by the song you’d been humming this time. Before he noticed what he was doing, he was already standing closer to you than he would have liked, trying to listen to the notes, desperate to place them. 

You seemed to like doing that, singing to yourself. He wondered if you were aware of it. 

_ Probably not. The woman can’t even notice where her feet are going. Dammed, uncoordinated munchkin.  _

The tune was familiar, eerily so, though he couldn’t figure out why. He had wanted to ask you what it was but had ended up complaining to you instead. Figures. 

Now you were following him to his car, oddly quiet. Again. You only refrained from speaking after feeling she’d made him mad, he noticed. He tried to tell himself that he didn’t mind but his mouth was moving before he could process it.

“Did you read through the file?”

_ There. Work is a safe topic.  _

You walked a bit faster, walking next to him now to answer. 

“I did. I have a few questions about it though. I hope that’s okay.”   


“Hmm. Are they about this victim in particular?” Both were now out in the parking lot. You were expected to have questions, having been brought into the case just one day ago. In fact, he was surprised you hadn't pestered him for information yet. The file you’d been given yesterday had the bare minimum in it. 

“Not really, I think this is the case I know the most of. I just wanted to see if I could get more details on the other victims?” 

Levi opened the door for you, not missing the slightly surprised look you gave him.

_ What, now I have no manners? _

“Save them for later then. Lagnar lives only a few minutes away. I have some files I can give you next time we're in the office and I’ll try to answer what I can. Try to focus on Ilse for now though, re read through what you have if needed. Also, try not to speak too much, let me ask the questions this time around.”

You were fiddling with the seatbelt as he spoke, but opened the folder and started reading through it again as he said that. He could tell you were nervous, probably your first time interviewing, he concluded. 

He remembered his first time as well. He had shadowed her former boss for it, actually. The freaky bloodhound had listed off all the things he smelled like on their way to the victim’s apartment, freaking him the fuck out. 

Trying to make you feel less uncomfortable, Levi reached out to turn on the radio, but it looked like you’d had the same idea. His fingers lingered over yours for only a second before you pulled back like you’d been shocked.

“My hands are clean, you know.” He said with a frown, giving you a side glance. So much for putting you at ease. 

You seemed sad at his words again, fiddling with your long hair now.

_ Great. What did I do now? _

“It’s...Not that. Sorry. I just-”

“-Hey. Snap out of it. No need to explain.” And he meant it. He was curious, but not enough to make you purposely uncomfortable. 

“Thank you, detective Ackerman.”

He grimaced. He wasn’t sure he liked the sound of that anymore. “Levi.”

“Huh?”

“I said Levi, brat. Just call me Levi. It’s fine.” 

Next to him, you smiled. Levi kept driving in silence, not noticing that, for only a second, he had almost smiled back. 

-

You had no idea why you had pulled your hand back like that, you were not afraid of physical contact. It had been an immediate reaction you couldn’t place. 

Was it because he was your work partner? Because it may have seemed unprofessional, even as an accidental brush?

It’s not like you saw him that way at all. You had known him for only a day and, to be honest, he wasn’t really your type either. 

He wasn’t bad looking, you accepted that much. Other women would probably be attracted to his light colored eyes, the sharpness of his features, and the deep sound of his voice. Yet you still found yourself constantly comparing any man you came across to your previous lover. 

Where Ezra had been tall, all smiles, sparkly green eyes, and tousled brown hair, Levi was short and serious, not a hair out of place. You couldn’t imagine him laughing at your bad jokes, cuddling with you on the couch as you read a book together, comforting if you cried. If anything, he would probably get annoyed at you for getting tears on his shirt. The two men couldn’t be more opposite from each other.

Maybe that is why you found yourself so, at ease with him, you knew there was no reason to be on guard. He was your co-worker and you could not see him as anything else than a grumpy, quiet man. 

_ Then why? _

Perhaps you were afraid he’d feel disrespected, or get the wrong opinion. That’s why you had reluctantly called him by his last name, almost as an apology. 

But then…  _ Call me Levi.  _ You couldn’t help smiling at that. Maybe your efforts were getting you somewhere. 

The sound of the car slowing down interrupted your thoughts, Ilse’s house clearly visible outside your window. It looked similar enough to all the other beautiful houses adorning the neighborhood. Children played on the streets, oblivious to a danger they had never known, parents watching them from their porch as they drank lemonade.

_ Almost like a storybook.  _

Not giving Levi the time to open your door this time, you gathered your stuff and made sure you looked presentable by looking at your reflection on the car’s polished exterior while he walked around to where you were. You would not be speaking, so you should at least look your best. 

“Come on, brat. Get a move on, you look fine.”

_ Brat this, brat that. My name is Freya.  _

Looking back at him through the reflective surface, you sighed. It was now or never, after all. 

Levi was waiting by the door when you turned around, looking at you expectantly as you walked up the small steps. The house had a beautiful garden on the outside, you noticed. Tulips in a variety of colors decorated the exterior giving off a faint, sweet scent. 

Your partner had barely knocked on the door when the door was opened by a blonde man who easily towered over him dressed in pants and a t-shirt. 

“You must be the detectives. I’m Liam, come on inside. I’ll get you some refreshments,” he said, not checking to see if you were following him. “Tea? Water? Coffee?”

You were about to answer before Levi did so for you “Tea, please. We’ll both have a cup if that's okay, ” he said with a smirk towards you, taunting you to correct him. 

_ Jerk.  _

He knew you hated tea, this was probably his way of annoying you. You hoped you’d be able to swallow it down, it’d be rude not to. 

Poor Liam only nodded and pointed towards a couch in front of you, which you took as permission to sit. He was probably tired of dealing with others asking him about his wife, not letting him mourn in peace. 

The living room was small but comfortable. The couch you were sitting on was the biggest piece of furniture in it with the only other items being a small coffee table in front of you and several framed photographs in various places. A smiling, younger looking Ilse stared back at you from most of them, usually hugging Liam, sometimes other people you assumed were her co-workers from the classroom behind them. One of the portraits depicted their wedding, beaming smiles captured as they walked under the arms of several people holding sparklers. She was even holding up an award in one of them. 

Further down the hall, you could see the corner of the room Ilse had been found in, you had stared at the photograph of her body enough to recognize it. To your left, Liam was now returning with a tray carrying two cups and a teapot.

_ None for himself. He must not be eating well… That is normal, yet sad. He probably misses Ilse too much to think about food too much.  _

_ “ _ So, what else do you need to know,” said Liam with a dejected sounding voice as he sat down in front of you. He put his head in his hands as he did so, looking down at the floor instead of you two. You noticed he was still wearing his wedding band on his finger. 

At his words, you turned to Levi. He had asked you to watch and learn and you planned to do just that. He was taking out a tape recorder from his pocket and placing it on the table in case you needed to listen to this again later. 

_ I hope he goes easy on him, hopefully, he doesn’t come across as too rude… _

“First off, we are sorry for your loss. I am sure you are fucking tired of dealing with all of us hounding you. I will try to be thorough so you are not bothered again. If at any point this becomes too much, let me know and you can take a break. Let me know when you are ready for me to start recording,” the voice he used to speak was so soft you almost didn’t believe it was coming from him. 

Maybe you had no reason to be worried, after all. Liam looked up at the man beside you with gratitude, giving a small, appreciative nod. Levi pressed the record button.

“My name is Levi Ackerman and this is a recording of the interview with Liam Lagnar, husband to victim Ilse Lagnar. Liam, could you tell us more about that day in as much detail as you can recall, no matter how small? Anything could be of help to help bring closure to the case.” You noticed he was careful not to mention the murder, or the killer, probably to put Liam more at ease.

“Yes, of course. Ilse had been feeling sick for a few days now, she had a bit of a flu, I think? An ongoing fever and chills, body aches, the usual. The woman is so stubborn though that she refused to call out for the first few days. I had to practically beg her to take some time off. She just kept saying it was exam season and she didn’t want to entrust her kids to anyone else. That’s just the way she is, thinking of all her students as her own children.”

Levi gave a short nod as he sipped his tea, ignoring the way Liam still spoke of his wife in the present tense. You, on the other hand, brought the cup up to your lips and swallowed as much as you could at once, trying not to spit it back out. Maybe you could pour the containers of your cup into Levi’s without him noticing. 

“That day… I finally convinced her to stay home and rest. I think the only reason she agreed was that she heard the one covering her would be her friend, Ida. She’s usually the music teacher, but she had some free time blocks and needed the extra cash, she said. I left for work in the morning like I always do, made sure she was comfortable, brought her some breakfast in bed and all.”

Levi held up a hand and asked, “How indisposed was she? Do you think she was asleep when the incident happened maybe? We know the door was unlocked, but-”

“-It... May not have been?”

“What do you mean?” Asked Levi with a frown. All our reports had said the door was unlocked, meaning the killer had no need to break in, they had simply walked in. Noticing his teacup was now empty, you discreetly exchanged it with yours, successful in going unnoticed. 

“I… Can’t be fully certain. Excuse me, my head… It’s not. I’m not exactly sure. But, I always lock the door when I leave. It’s Ilse who has a tendency of forgetting. There is a chance I could have forgotten knowing she was in, but it’s not very likely,” said Liam with a shake of his head. 

He was now staring at the window behind you both, a glazed look on his eyes, probably trying to remember that day. He had started playing with his wedding band, twisting it in his finger as he thought it all over. It must be really hard to relive the moment over and over again. 

Levi just looked down at what used to be your teacup, pondering. You didn’t miss the look he gave you as he realized tea had magically reappeared before tasting it. 

_ Okay, maybe I was not that discreet.  _

“Anyway… I… Everything felt normal when I came home, at least until I walked up the steps and noticed the door was open. Ilse may leave it unlocked, but she rarely leaves it open unless she is doing work on the yard, she loves gardening you see. And I knew she probably felt too sick to do that so it felt odd. I then walked in and….and… walked through the hall. I called out her name like I always did, letting her know I was home but there was only silence,” tears were now running freely down Liam’s face. His hands were clenched at his sides, his eyes still avoiding yours. 

“Nothing was out of place until I walked into that room. I just remember seeing her feet first… On the floor. She still had her house slippers on. She was looking up at the ceiling with glassy eyes and she wasn’t breathing and I… I just tried… to wake her up… I called her name, I tried to shake her, I was yelling at her, asking her to get up… I tried giving her mouth to mouth, thinking maybe that would help… then I called the cops. You know the rest.”

Levi looked up at the man, slowly nodding as he spoke. To your surprise, he then slowly stood up to walk over to Liam, crouching at his side. He stopped the recording and put a hand on his shoulder as he spoke, using the same soft tone as before. 

“Thank you. We have documentation of the state of the room, so we will be needing no further details from you. I just want you to know we appreciate your time and kindness. We  _ will  _ find whoever did this, I can promise you that.”

Liam’s shoulders shook in a silent sob. 

“Why her? She was…. Perfect. She was kind. She volunteered in her spare time. Is this… my fault? Maybe if she had gone into work… she would still be here. We…. we were going to try and have kids...”

You looked at Levi to see what he would say, but he looked just as lost for words as you were, so he only squeezed the man’s shoulder tighter as he thought of all the times he had heard those same questions asked, and how few answers he had found.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I had this chapter ready to go, so I decided to go ahead and post it instead of making yo all wait (I am a reader of other fics and always love seeing an update so I figured you hopefully wold as well) :) . Please let me know your thoughts! All comments are greatly appreciated <3 Thank you to all of you who are reading this


	3. Andante

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, we come to realize it is other's broken pieces that can help make us whole.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Faith has been broken, tears must be cried.  
> Let's do some living  
> After we die  
> Wild Horses - The Rolling Stones
> 
> \-----------------------------  
> Fluff and some angst in this chapter, I hope you enjoy!

Levi didn’t as much as look at you as you both excited Liam’s house, inadvertently ignoring you on his way out. He simply dragged his feet to the car, opening the door for you like before as you nodded in thanks, but he wasn’t paying attention, his mind elsewhere. This was not like his usual quietness, but more of a pensiveness. 

After the interview had concluded, you had both waited in silence as the man in front of you tried to put himself together, strangled sounds escaping every once in a while. All the while, Levi had remained by his side, looking at him despite the man ignoring his eyes, his hand on his shoulder for support. 

Several minutes later, he had stood up and thanked you both for your efforts, escorting you to the front door. He had made no observations on either the interview or Levi’s promise. He hadn’t thanked him for the comforting gesture either, he didn’t need to. Or perhaps he couldn’t bring himself to, it would make it all too real. Once the door shut behind you, it was almost like you’d never been there at all. Though you couldn’t see it, you knew he was back to his monotonous state, the same one he had opened the door with, perhaps a fake smile plastered on his face as he tried to pretend his wife was still there. 

It had been nothing but silence since. The sky was darkening, a warning of an incoming storm. The clouds were deepening, gathering amongst themselves, eclipsing what little sunlight remained. At least you had that to look forward to; the prospect of rain. 

Every time it poured, you made sure to step out into it, if only for a little while. Like a silent promise you had decided to make someday, to no one in particular but yourself. 

The sounds were comforting, a melodic pitter-patter that echoed almost like a song. Nature’s lullaby. The feeling of raindrops on your skin felt like a million, tiny, kisses; caresses from people long gone. 

When you were younger, you used to cry when it rained, thinking the sky was weeping. It was your mother that convinced you the falling water was a gift. She told you a story about how each raindrop was a memory, coming back to remind the people on Earth about those waiting for them above, lest they forget. She had presumably made it up on the spot, but you had clung onto it, even now. Who cared if it was a lie, it was real enough to you. 

_ I wonder if you will send me memories today, mom. If you do, will they be in the form of a small drizzle or a raging thunderstorm?  _

Glancing at your side, you noticed Levi wasn’t turning on the car or putting his seatbelt on yet. He was just sitting there, gawking out the car with a vacant look on his face. He had probably seen the scene before many times. As experienced as he was, you were sure he had been doing this for years, faces blending together with each other as he visited with the same news every time. 

You were secretly glad he had asked you not to speak today, you doubted you would have known what to do or say. It took a special type of fortitude to be there for others as they broke apart in front of you and you felt a little broken still yourself. It was too soon for you to share whatever fragile strength you had. You could hardly hold your own shattered pieces together, let alone someone else's. 

If people could see your soul, you were certain they’d see all the cracks. Tiny fissures, running up and down your skin like scars. A small chip in your hand from slamming it against the wall in frustration. A large fracture underneath each eye eroded from all the tears that had trailed a path down your face. Little crevices on your arms from hugging yourself too tightly in artificial comfort, trying to forget. Though it shamed you, you knew you had much healing to do yourself. 

For once, you waited in silence, allowing him to be the one to break it whenever he was ready. You weren’t ready to speak just yet either. 

Wordlessly, you wondered if Levi’s soul would look damaged too.

He had looked so strong, sharing his fortitude with the man, but now you could see it had taken its toll. The bags under his eyes were a bit more noticeable, like yours. Though you could tell he tried to hide it, his hands were tensed, his body rigid. 

If Levi’s soul had cracks, would they match yours? 

Peeping back at him, you could tell he was taking long, calming breaths, clenching his eyes shut as he did so, his left hand cradling his head as he sagged against the window. His chest rose and fell slowly, trying to conceal his troubled state. 

It pained you. You had known this man for so little, yet you cared so much already. Maybe it was because, despite meeting several men in the past few months, you hadn’t talked as much to any of them as you had with him. All words exchanged had been brief, your body aching to get to the point before you gave up and left. This was different, you wanted to be his friend. 

You briefly contemplated trying to comfort him, despite your previous affirmation that you were not ready to do so for anyone else. You just had no idea of how. 

Should you pat his shoulder, as he had done with Liam? Maybe tell him you had admired the way he handled the situation? That you wished you could someday command yourself as well as he had in front of others? 

For only a second, you saw his eyes connect with yours in the reflection and he seemed to compose himself a little. You hoped he was not forcing himself to do so for you, you didn’t mind. If anything, you wished you could do more. 

His eyes were still focused on yours when he decided to talk.

“You did well, brat. Thank you,” came the ragged words. His voice sounded exhausted, his tone lower than usual, words enunciated slower. 

_ Me? I didn’t do anything. All I did was sit there, acting useless. You did all the work.  _

The thought had barely settled in your mind when he spoke once more.

“We should head back.”

You were about to nod at that when your stomach answered for you, breaking the silence for you. Trying to hide your embarrassment, you cleared your throat, hoping it was louder than the sounds stemming from your hunger. Leave it to you to break the tension, right? Begrudgingly, you had to admit you were starving. You had been trying to hide it earlier. 

Levi only smirked though. He seemed a lot calmer than he’d been a second ago, so you decided to try your luck as you asked. 

“Actually, would you mind if we picked up some food first?”

-

It never got easier. He had been doing this for years now, so why was it still so hard? No matter how many cases he solved, how much so-called “closure” he attained for others, it was never enough. 

Who cared about closure when their loved ones were rotting under the ground. Answers could not speak to you. They could not look up at you as they teased you over your obsession with cleanliness. All they were good for was pretending whatever had happened was okay. Like the emotional scars were somehow less painful than physical ones. 

It was infuriating. How helpless he felt. It was almost like, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t make a difference. He was infinitely bond to the injustices of reality, chained down and condemned to fail. 

Solving cases felt futile when there was always another victim right around the corner, another body to add to the count. Unless they could overtake killers before they decided to act, things would never improve. 

His vision was blurred from anger, he always felt like this after confronting the dead person’s families. Why they kept sending him to do so was beyond him. Couldn’t they find an intern to take over?

No. It had to be him. He owed it to them to look them into the eye. To prove that someone out there still cared. Unfortunately, sometimes he went too far. 

_ For fucks sake. I even promised them I would find the killer. Good job, Levi. Take on even more shitty expectations as though you weren’t buried in them already. Tch.  _

He had almost forgotten you were in the car with him until he caught you, looking at him through the reflection. 

Forcing himself to shove his feelings down, he decided it’d be best to get back to work as he donned on his usual mask of indifference. There were many thoughts he had to sift through after that conversation, writing down the new information and analyzing it would be the best course of action to improve his mood. 

Work was safe. It was easier to concentrate on action than emotions. It also meant he was doing  _ something _ to correct the circumstances. 

Thankfully, you appeared much more at ease than him. You had remained level-headed throughout the interview, keeping quiet instead of making hollow promises as he had. 

“You did well, brat,” he found himself saying. Better than him for sure, at least. 

He was just about to turn on the car, intending on heading back into the office to resume his work when your stomach interrupted. Loudly. 

_ Of course.  _

All tension flooded out from him at that and he couldn’t help but smirk. Leave it to you to interrupt the silence, as always; even without words. When you asked him to get food, he couldn’t turn you down. He felt indebted to you somehow, having his nerves somehow calmed by your presence. 

The scenery passing through his window was almost soothing as he drove to the weathered down cafe he was well acquainted with. He used to come here all the time with his previous partner when they were still here. Much too often to be honest. While Levi preferred to stick to tea during work hours, she had always begged to get food during breaks. He always ended up catering to her demands in the end. 

He still remembered the way she would take her damn sweet time reading the menu only to order the same thing every single time. A burger, no mayo, with a side of fries. A large milkshake, a platter of cookies. Her previous life had prevented her from enjoying comfort food like this and so she had indulged as much as she could during every visit, rebelling against her past. 

Especially when he’d foot the bill. For some reason, the volume of food she ordered would always be smaller when it was her turn to pay, fluctuating to match the responsibility. 

It wasn’t always just the two of them either. Sometimes, two became three. This would happen often when long walks around the city went on well into the night. Inadvertently, despite the many better restaurants, they always ended back here at the end of their ventures. 

The tall and lanky blonde who often joined in on your meals together would steal fries from her plate as she ate. Only he would dare. Levi confessed he’d feel so comfortable around them that sometimes, he’d find himself laughing before he could hold back. 

They would talk about the past, dream about the future. They would remember all the things they’d gone through together and all the things they still had to look forward to. 

Those days were long gone now, but Levi still enjoyed visiting the place occasionally. He had never brought anyone else with him until today. 

He was slightly curious as to what you would order. You were constantly grumbling about being hungry in the small amount of time he’d known you, so he figured you would indulge, just like she had. Maybe he should refrain from mentioning he planned to pay for both of you, just in case. 

_ Why did you two have to leave me so soon? Bastards.  _

It still stung. Their absences. Not that he’d reveal it to others. He was not one to show weakness easily. Instead, he chose to remember them in his own way. 

He thought back to the drawer in his apartment and what it contained, the one picture they had together that decorated his nightstand, even the spare clothing he still kept for them in his closet for when they’d visit and stay the night. 

Even when the two of them had moved in together, they would still visit him in his tiny apartment, staying the night on occasion as they remembered the place they all came from. 

He was vaguely aware of his arrival at the cafe when he glanced at you to see you were half swaying in your seat.

_ You just can’t stand still, huh?  _

He took his seatbelt off and got out, noticing you refused to wait for him to open your door again. With a roll of his eyes, he strolled towards the inside, the space around him immediately inundated with the smell of fried food. 

“It’ll be my treat,” He decided to mention. “ I did end up drinking your tea after all so I doubt you’ve had much to eat today.”

He saw you get red out of the corner of his eye. You probably had somehow expected him not to notice when you clumsily switched the cups, nearly spilling the tea all over the floor. It had relieved him when you hadn’t, it would have been embarrassing to make a mess on somebody else's home. 

Picking the most secluded-looking booth, he grabbed two menus from the bar as he walked, wanting to interact with the staff as little as possible, you were mainly here for work after all. 

Once you had comfortably sat in the booth with him, he waited for you to speak. It never took you too long to do so either way, he’d noticed. He only had to wait for a minute. 

“So. What do you recommend?”

_ Ah, there it is.  _

“Not sure, I don’t usually eat much,” he admitted. 

Your eyebrows knitted in confusion in front of him. “Then… what do you come here for?”

That was a good question. Probably the memories.

“A quiet place to work, though you will probably affect that, won’t you?” he answered instead.    


Upon seeing the pout on your face though, he figured he could suggest something to appease you.

“Do you like burgers? I’ve heard they’re pretty good. The milkshakes as well, I think. Get whatever you want.”

He noticed your eyes lit up at that. It looked like he was right after all. When the waitress came by to take your orders, he was pleased to see you followed his suggestion. Except you asked for all vegetables that could have possibly have made the burger healthy in the slightest to be taken out. He, on the other hand, asked for some tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich on the side. He felt like warm, comforting food for some reason. 

Levi was absentmindedly wiping down the table to his liking when you spoke again.

“So. What did you think of the new information?” So you had noticed as well. Good. Not that he expected any less of someone capable of solving ciphers faster than him. He would test you out with more of those later. He was curious as to how fast you would perform on different types of puzzles. 

“I think it changes things quite a bit, he said. “ Before, we were approaching Ilse’s case as though it had been random, but it doesn’t seem that way to me anymore. I believe her husband, I don’t think the door was open from the start, it looks like she opened it of her own volition to whoever was outside, which can only mean a few things.”

The waitress had now arrived with your food. As she placed the plates on the table, the smell hit him and made him realize how hungry he actually was. He hadn’t had much to eat either, except for horrible tea. A charred mess by the brat and a weak, flavorless brew by the victim’s husband. As he took a bite out of his sandwich, you spoke, continuing his line of thought from before.

“Right. So either she was well enough that she got up and opened the door herself, forgetting to lock it at some point, which would support the first theory,” she paused, picking up a fry. “Or she knew whoever the killer was, which makes things more complicated. It would also explain why there were no signs of a struggle inside the house. She was probably taken by surprise, meaning that she trusted whoever it was as well.”

Good, very good. You had been quick to deduce the same as him. He was even more glad you had not mentioned it to Ilse’s husband yet. Erwin definitely had to hear about this before they moved on with the information. This could help start a possible suspect list or at least narrow it down a bit. 

“What about the previous victims, though? From what I know, they were all attacked outside their homes. Do you think they knew the killer as well?” You started eating your burger, giving Levi a chance to answer your questions. 

“We have no way of knowing,” he begrudgingly admitted. “All previous murders were committed outside and have no witnesses to speak of. Though they were probably taken by surprise as well, that means nothing when you’re out on the street. A thief can take you by surprise the same way an old college roommate might as long as they hide in the shadows.”

_ I would know. As long as you use darkness as a cover, people will rarely see you. All you have to do is be quick enough.  _

“Plus,” Levi continued, “the other murders were committed either late at night, or at least well into the day. There was little sunlight if any. So it would be hard to trust any possible eye witness, even if we had one.” 

Levi was, once again, reminded of his past. He had stolen countless wallets, fought a wide array of people. It was easy to make your presence unknown once you knew how. He was glad you didn’t question this knowledge, perhaps you thought he was simply experienced in dealing with criminals. If anything, it looked like you were dealing with thoughts of your own, gaze distracted as you played around with the straw on your shake. 

“Can I… ask another question?”

Levi nodded, encouraging you to speak up. Still, it took you a second to respond. There was something making you hesitate. 

“Do you think the people on file are the only ones that can be, without a doubt, connected to the killer?”

_ Hmm.  _

“It’s hard to say,” he answered slowly. “There are many murder cases each year, too many to count sometimes. Many of them, however, are linked to gang violence and several are ruled accidents. The only reason we know these cases are for sure connected, or at least performed by a copycat, is because of the neck slash. There could be more, but it would be odd that they’d leave out their signature. Serial killers are proud creatures, they enjoy feeling important.”

“What if these cases were from before though,” you asked, though it sounded more like a statement. “What if they have other victims they killed just to throw us off?” Your voice sounded almost pleading, begging him to consider the alternatives. 

Levi thought it over. It could be a possibility, but the odds were low. 

Unless the killer had to practice or something, he saw no reason for the state of the victims to deviate from the norm. “Is there any particular reason you are asking, or a case you have in mind?” 

But for once, you were quiet, drinking your milk shake and looking away from him. There was something you weren’t telling him, and it  _ bothered  _ him. If there was anything you knew about the cases that he didn’t, he ought to know. You were partners now after all. Levi was starting to make himself trust you a bit more and he wanted you to be able to return the favor. 

However, he had a feeling he would get nowhere by pushing you on this, you would have to open up about it on your own. 

This did not worry him as much as it should have. It’s not like it would make that much of a difference if you didn’t, after all. If you were talking about a case that had not been immediately connected, it was unlikely to help them make any progress. It was hard enough to find similarities amongst the victims they did know they could attribute to whoever had decided to play samurai with people’s necks. 

You remained quiet for a few minutes longer, making him half hope you would speak up, as always. It was starting to unnerve him seeing you this quiet. You were still looking out the window, staring at the rain that was now starting to fall in even curtains outside.

Levi wrinkled his nose. He hated the rain. It brought… unpleasant memories back. You, on the other hand, seemed to think otherwise. The corners of your mouth slowly lifted as you observed the droplets racing down the window. 

He wondered what you were thinking of. For him, it was that dreadful night. 

It had been a storm similar to this one, rain falling so hard it was hard to see. He had been waiting for them to arrive, having made plans to meet up that night. Though they were late at times, it was never that bad and so he could immediately feel that something was wrong.

Levi had paced around his apartment, hoping he was overreacting as his stomach clenched in nervousness. He waited for what seemed like hours, hoping they could open the door so he could chastise them for making him wait, but it never happened. 

Once he finally decided to head out and look for them, it had been too late. There was nothing else to be done at that point except sink down to his knees and beg. 

What for, he was unsure. Maybe that it was all a dream. That the scene before him was only a nightmare and nothing else. Even when the cops arrived. Even as Erwin came to the scene when he heard, his pitying eyes looking down at him as he screamed into the night. 

Logically, he knew the rain had nothing to do with it. Even if that had been his initial suspicion, the investigation quickly refuted it. Despite that, he couldn’t help but hate it because of it, as if blaming nature was easier than the alternative. Maybe, if he could hate the rain, he could hate himself a little bit less. 

In front of him, you were so distracted as you continued to play with your straw, that you didn’t notice when the glass slipped, dropping some of the strawberry milkshakes on your sweater. 

_ Oh for fucks sake, Reader.  _

“Oi. Can’t you go five minutes without making a mess?” But he only meant it half-heartedly. After all, there was less than an hour left in your day. You and your messy sweater would soon be back wherever it was you lived. He was also drained, he had no energy left to argue for today. 

Regardless, he would have thought it would have bothered you more. Instead, you were now trying to use a napkin to clean up, making it even worse with your clumsy, uncoordinated attempt. You barely seemed surprised at all. 

“Oops. Yeah, this always happens,” you said as you continued to attack the pale color of your sweater, spreading the pink drink around it instead of cleaning it up. You weren’t very good at this, were you? 

“I can tell,” was his answer. “Here, hand it to me, you’ll only ruin it more if you keep doing that.”

He fully intended to help out, knowing he would do a far better job than you. 

You ignored his outstretched hand though, “It’s really okay, I needed to do laundry either way.” At least you were taking the sweater off, he wouldn’t be surprised if stained the shirt under it as well as long as you were taking to remove it. It had a similarly light color. 

He noticed you were done with the food, as was he. Knowing no one would mind if they never went back into the building today, he decided to just drop you off near your own car so you could both head home. 

Leaving you to struggle with the stain, Levi stood up to pay, dismissing your protests over it. “I said it was my treat, it’s fine. You can pay next time.” The words were out of his mouth before his head processed what he was saying.

_ Oh, great. Now she will think this will become a regular occurrence. Hopefully, she forgets. It’s not like I come here too often either way.  _

He was so distracted he didn’t see you slip out the front door to stand in the pouring rain as soon as his back turned. He had shifted his attention around for only a few minutes only to find you gone as he collected his change. 

Looking around the establishment, he saw the booth was now empty, your sweater forgotten. Walking over to pick it up, he glanced around the room to find you. When he finally located you, standing in the middle of the parking lot, your clothes were already soaked.

_ This woman is going to be the death of me. _

Picking up the pace, he briskly walked towards you, hesitating for a second before stepping outside. He wished he had an umbrella on him. His attempts s to not step on puddles were futile as he hurriedly walked across the area, kicking up water as he walked. 

Levi was taking his coat off, fully intending to give it to you to keep you from catching a cold, silently condemning you when he finally saw you up close. 

You were facing straight up, eyes closed, letting the water fall over your face. Your tilted face was embracing the sky with an almost aching, quiet determination. Despite there being many places to seek shelter in, you were standing in the midst of it all, looking as though you wanted to absorb the rain into you. Your usual state of movement was gone, body completely still, tethered to the ground by the near-invisible ropes of water falling from you.

The distant thunder illuminated the sky for a second, briefly lightening your face against the darkness. As it did, Levi could almost see the ghosts around you. 

Your red skirt stood out against all the blues and purples, slightly swaying in the powerful wind despite its weight. Your arms were hugging your frame, whether for modesty because of the sheer shirt you were wearing, or to protect you from the chill, he was uncertain. 

“Oi,” Levi cried out, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of thunder, finally catching up to the earlier flash of light. 

You had the most serene smile he had seen. Your loose hair was damp, the droplets standing still above your eyelashes almost like tiny diamonds. As he walked towards you, you turned to him and opened your eyes, shifting your smile from the dark clouds to him, making a shiver run down his spine. 

Levi wanted to pull you away from the downpour, drag you towards a drier spot, but his legs failed to obey him as though they were firmly rooted to the ground. You whispered, or perhaps even shouted something that resembled his name on your lips, another roar of thunder making it impossible to know, as you held out your hand towards him, like a lighthouse in the middle of a stormy sea. 

You were laughing now, shaking your head at him, as if this had all been his idea. Though he couldn’t hear your laughter, he was sure he could almost feel it. 

Your hand was still outstretched towards him, almost like you expected him to pull you in for a dance - but he was too afraid whatever this spell was would shatter if he touched you, and so he merely observed you instead. Despite the cold, Levi felt warm. 

Remembering the coat in his hands, he flung it on top of your head, not that it would make a difference. It was more of a gesture at this point. 

Peeking out from under the thick fabric, you glanced up at his eyes. The sound of your voice was faint, but he could make out your words now.

“You know, this may sound a bit weird but you-”

“-Brat,” he interrupted, “you are standing in the middle of a torrent. And you look  _ happy _ about it. I don’t think it could get weirder than that.” 

He didn’t understand why. Something was fastening his feet to the floor beneath him and, try as he could, he could not move. At that moment, his will was nonexistent.

It went against all of his instincts, toyed with his weaknesses. He was soaked. Despite not feeling the cold, his body was shivering. He probably looked deranged as well, allowing himself to be exposed like this. 

_ Then why... _

He wanted you to finish your previous statement, bemoaning having interrupted now, but you were gazing back up at the sky again, his coat now dangling from your shoulders, draped around your frame. Now he may never know what your next words were. 

As the rain continued to fall around both of you, he thought of how different this storm was. Whereas the one in his memories had brought him only pain, this one seemed to have him in a soothing trance. 

He didn’t know how long he stared at you, watching the rain run down your face like tears, your eyes closed once more, as if playing back a memory when a small sound broke him out of the haze.

_ Was that? _

It happened again. A small sneeze, your nose wrinkling as the small sound escaped. Levi sighed and crossed his arms, reality seeping into his world again. This is exactly what he was trying to prevent earlier. 

“Oi, let’s get out of here before you make us both catch a cold.” Though his tone was stern, you only looked up at him and shrugged, seemingly happy for now. 

“You look like a wet cat,” he found himself saying with a smirk as they both walked back towards his car. 

“You’re one to speak, you know,” you answered, still beaming. 

“Thank you, by the way. You didn’t have to do that. I’m sorry your clothes got all wet.” Your voice was apologetic, possibly expecting him to get mad, but he wasn’t, and he didn’t know why. 

His own feelings had always been transparent to him before yet, at this moment, his annoyance kept evaporating before taking form.

Even as she climbed into his car, getting the seats wet. Even as they drove in silence, her head leaning back against the seat, eyes closed peacefully, his coat still around her as though she owned it. Even after he dropped her off and he saw her run to her car, her sweater forgotten behind on the back seat, Levi couldn’t bring himself to do anything but smile. 

-

_ You have the storm in your eyes _

You were glad you hadn’t said it now. It would have sounded ridiculous. He would have probably made fun of you or even gotten the wrong idea. But it was true. 

As he had walked up towards you, getting drenched himself, you couldn’t help but notice the stormy sky reflected right back at you from them. The small specks of dark blue mimicking the darkness of the sky, the greys as beautiful as the clouds. If people were rain, Levi was a thunderstorm.

As the water ran down his face, he was a storm personified. A beautiful, scary-looking yet comforting storm. 

As you had let it engulf you, you had let yourself be transported away by the memories it entrusted to you. Your mother running a hand down your hair which turned into Ezra braiding it. His adept fingers intertwining the strands had transformed into your loose hair, streaming in the wind behind you as the salty air of the beach kissed your skin. 

Memories morphed into one another and you let them, not holding on to any of them too tightly, allowing yourself to be carried by them instead. 

Where small drizzles brought back snapshots, thunderstorms swept you away vividly, colors and smells embracing you lovingly. 

You had savored your drive back in silence, wishing you lived close enough to the office to walk instead. Even as the intervals between your sneezes decreased, you felt it was all worth it. It always was, you could warm up with a hot drink later. 

Back in your own apartment, you got rid of the wet clothes, letting them slip to the ground. 

Absentmindedly, you walked towards your bedroom and opened the closet door. Taking out an old button-up shirt, you drew it towards your face, inhaling as much of the fading scent as you could. It wouldn’t be long before it was gone, you knew. Each time you picked his old clothes up, spiraling into their comfort, you felt the ebbing fragrance with heartbreaking grimness. However, as long as it lingered, you could pretend.

You hadn’t had the heart to throw out his belongings. You knew you could have donated them, asked a friend for help cleaning out the memories, but they were the last thing you had, and so they had remained. You were terrified if you let it all go, you would start to forget.

You knew it was stupid. You still remembered all the people you had lost. Your parents' faces were clear in your mind, but you were still afraid. Scared that you would forget the sound of his laughter as you tripped and made a fool of yourself, the way his eyes twinkled in the moonlight. You needed to hold on to it just a little bit longer. 

Slowly, you undid the buttons in the shirt, putting your arms through the sleeves. It had been a particularly long day, wearing it would bring you comfort.

Despite it all, you thought, it had been a good day. You had made progress in both your relationship with your stoic partner and the case. A few times already, you could see Levi’s callous mask retreat, even if only for a few seconds. 

Maybe the new information would turn into the breakthrough you all so desperately needed. If it did, maybe the dread in your stomach would finally start to recede. Maybe your unyielding grief would fade. 

The sound of your naked feet echoed around the apartment as you walked back to the living room, settling down on the couch for the night. That night, as you bundled up with his blanket, your hair still messy from the wind, the sound of thunder soothing you to sleep, the nightmares failed to materialize.

-

“It’s a complete nightmare,” Petra complained. 

Hange and her both had apparently been tasked with coming up with the monthly team-building activity for the precinct. She mentioned it was a long-standing tradition to bring teams closer together. It was a hard field to work in, seeing death as much as you did, so they took every chance to loosen up and bond. In the end, they never knew when they could lose someone to an assignment. 

“Besides, it’s not like the higher-ups ever show up. The only supervisors we ever see are Erwin who is obligated to attend and those working under him in our unit, being forced to accompany him. Not that all of them do either way.” This last part was said with a sad exhale. It looked like there was someone in particular she wished would attend, you noticed. 

_ I wonder who. Maybe Oluo? He stares at her when she isn’t looking.  _

You had arrived earlier that day, leaving a freshly brewed cup of tea on Levi’s desk, hoping it was better than the last, before searching for Hange. She had access to the files containing the details you wanted to go over, trying to continue the momentum from yesterday. 

Your small sneezes, yet to fade from yesterday’s exposure, had attracted Petra’s attention who was also looking for her. Both of you were now walking towards the bespectacled genius’s office to ask for help with your respective problems. 

As you chattered with each other, she filled you in on how the new recruits were doing. They had gotten straight down to it and had them doing physically exerting activities to prepare them for the field. You were glad those days were behind you now.

According to Petra, Mikasa excelled in hand-to-hand combat and was very protective of Eren. Jean, she mentioned, had taken a quick liking to her but bickered often with him. She said once they were done with that part of the training, they would be shadowing Historia and Ymir, followed by Hange and the other teams. Erwin insisted all interns had a well-rounded exposure to the field before being allowed to apply for a full-time position. 

“You should come to see them train sometime! It can be fun. Plus… I’m sure the rest of the squad would be happy to talk to you,” she said, a faint smile on her face. It seemed Petra enjoyed letting you guess at her thoughts. 

You promised her you would visit next time you could and that seemed enough to appease her. As you made your way down the long corridors, she continued to ask you questions about how you were settling into your role before going back to speaking about the party. 

“Hey Freya, actually, are you intending on coming? We were hoping to at least get all the new members on board! It would be fun. Plus, it would be a good opportunity to get to know each other better too!” Her excited eyes were looking pleadingly at you. After a couple beats, she added with a slight blush “Maybe you could even get your partner to come…”

_ Levi? Really? That is who Petra is hoping to spend time with? Oh, Petra… you are much too nice for him.  _

A small snort escaped you at the thought, Petra looking at you questioningly now. You could just see Levi rolling his eyes as Petra tried to get him to talk about parties and get-togethers. It could work though, opposites attract after all. Quick to compose yourself, you answered back.

“I would love to. It has been a while since I last spent a night out. I can’t promise the grumpy midget will show up though,” you expressed honestly. “It doesn’t sound like his type of thing? I may be wrong though.”

Petra only sighed, confirming your suspicions. Still, the longing in her eyes remained. 

“No, you are totally right. Each month we beg him to go. Hange and Erwin both have tried to bribe him, even going as far as to offer him compensation in exchange for his presence. They know the new recruits always look up to him, him being the strongest and all.”

_ Really? _

“He never listens though. I don’t think he’s been to any of the gatherings since… Nevermind.”

She had stopped midsentence and lowered her gaze immediately, almost like she regretted saying anything at all.

“Since what?” You pushed. You were curious about what could have possibly made him attend a social gathering. Petra, however, tried to ignore your question.

“I… really shouldn’t say. It’s not for me to share. Maybe you could ask him at some point. Definitely not now though, it may be too soon. Though you do deserve to know. As his partner I mean! Not that I am implying anything else. I mean. Oh, look! There is Hange, let’s hurry up!”   


She grabbed your hand, tripping over her own words as she tried to correct her previous blunder. Pulling you after her, she waved at Hange as you both entered her office.

“Oh, you’re both just in time! There is this new substance I wanted to try! I made it myself after some experimenting and want to see how it reacts to different types of skin when exposed to the sun, would you two mind lending me your arms? It could be very useful in the future when we analyze people we suspect died of natural causes. ”

Despite the weird-sounding request, you were about to volunteer yourself when petra covered your mouth, shaking her head frantically at you with wide eyes. Hange didn’t notice, eyes already back on whatever her “substance” was. 

_ Never allow her to test on you, she seemed to say. _

Slowly nodding to let her know you understood, you removed her hand from your mouth. 

“Actually Hange, I was hoping I could borrow some files? On the previous victims of the serial case? Levi and I made have gotten some new information and I want to go over the previous reports to inform myself better.”

Unbothered by your dismissal of her previous request, Hange turned to you with a smile.

“Oh, goodie! I knew you’d be a great addition to the team, shorty! Borrow whatever you want, all previous case files are on the shelves behind me,” she said with a wave of her hand as she lifted the suspicious-looking liquid in her hand to the light, squinting at it. 

Hange was strange, and you loved that. She was so passionate about her research that she seemed to forget where she was, You could relate to that, getting lost in your own work at times. 

While you walked behind her, reading through the binders and trying to find what you were looking for, you listened in to Petra’s conversation.

“Hey, I had a question too! Have we planned out where the party will be? Oluo has been pushing for another beach trip but I feel it’s getting too cold for that. Plus we don’t know if the new recruits can swim yet, and they are so young too! It’d be worrisome having to keep track of them all.”

You smiled at her remarks. The new recruits were all over 18, they could surely watch over themselves? Petra seemed like a very kind person though, and she probably felt a responsibility towards them. 

“Well you know how it goes, most people are pushing for alcohol, so I figured we’d just do the new bar that opened nearby? I think the new caseload is catching up on all of us because even Erwin agreed with the suggestion last time it was voiced. Plus I heard it has karaoke!”   


Petra hummed at her words. 

“That does sound like a solid plan. What about the recruits though? We can’t have alcohol around-”   


“Oh, just let them have some fun! Remember Shiganshina’s legal drinking age is 18, so they should all be fine,”’ she responded dismissively.

Hange’s words verified your previous assumption. Despite their youthful-looking faces, all interns were adults. Glancing over your shoulder, you noticed Petra had a thoughtful look on her face.

“Say, Freya. Would you like to help us plan the party? I would appreciate the extra help, as would Hange I’m sure. Plus, that way you have an excuse to escape your office every so often!” She beamed. 

In all honesty, you didn’t mind your workspace. Though it seemed many were wary of Levi, you honestly didn’t mind. He wasn’t as bad as people thought. Except when he was being a pain in the butt. If even Petra though, who seemed fond of the man was suggesting you’d need a breather at some point, maybe you should take her up on the offer.

“I would love to. Besides, I will probably need to clear my mind every once in a while. Taking a rest from a puzzle can sometimes bring the solution forward.”

“Ah, spoken like a true scientist!” interjected Hange as she passed by ou both, making her way out the door.

“I will see you both later, I need to check in with the short stack about some things. Take your time and all the files you need Freya. Petra, try not to be too nice to the new recruits, we need them to toughen up a bit after all!” 

Watching her disappear through the doorway, you started stacking folders on the desk so you could take them back with you later. You had lots of reading to do if you wanted to catch up on the previous happenings of the case. You had joined the team late into the game.

As you did so, you shivered, it was strangely cold today. 

-

The brat had forgotten her sweater. 

Levi had been halfway through the door of his apartment, about to walk into his bathroom for a shower when he noticed he was holding it in his hand, having taken it absentmindedly from the backseat of his car. The offending pink stains in it remained despite its soaked state from the rain. 

_ And just what am I supposed to do with this. _

With a dejected sigh, he had marched to his bedroom instead, changing out his wet clothes for his pajamas instead. His shower would have to wait. Quietly resenting you for denying him the comfort of cleanliness for a few minutes longer, he settled for feeling warm at least. 

Now that he was back home, he was back to his usual self. Like a rubber band snapping back into its original state, he was starting to feel as he always did after a long day.

The images from his day seemed like a distant memory, a dream. There was absolutely no way he had stood in the middle of a fucking downpour just to let a woman stare at the sky, was there? 

To top it all of, now he was cleaning after her too. 

_ As if I were some shitty maid.  _

Levi was no stranger to washing other people’s clothes, he just didn’t expect it to be doing so ever again. The only reason he did everyone’s laundry before was that he couldn’t stand their horrible standards before. Shirts always with a ghost of a stain, outrageously washed pants, unpolished shoes. Once Isabelle had moved out, taking Farlan with her, Levi thought he would never have to pick up after anyone but himself. 

Yet here he was, grumbling as he walked towards the washing machine, searching for his favorite detergent so he could scrub the sweater on his sink before tossing it in. 

_ Dammed woman with her fucking clumsiness.  _

He was well versed in cleaning stains and this was no exception. Going through all the steps in his head before starting, Levi pulled up his sleeves and took a look at the garment. 

You had done the worst possible thing by trying to rub the ice cream out, embedding it into the fabric of the sweater instead, so he had to wash that out by hand first. It looked like a delicate fabric too, so he would have to be gentle with his hands, utilizing a low cycle in the machine after that as well. 

_ Maybe I should toss my coat in too, it got soaked after all.  _

He let the cold water run, filling up the sink, and tossed a bit of detergent in, creating a soapy mix. As he did, a sharp, clean smell filled the room. He always used neutral scents to scrub his own clothes, preferring to use a mild cologne only for special occasions when he wanted to smell nicer. 

Levi was about to soak your sweater when curiosity hit him, thinking of his own habits and preferences. Gingerly, he raised your sweater to his nose, inhaling your scent. 

_ Lavender.  _

He recognized it immediately. 

It was a pleasant, floral smell. There was something sweet mixed with it too, though he couldn’t place what it was. Briefly, he wondered if his coat smelled like you now, you had worn it for a while after all. 

Did you pick this scent because it was known to be soothing? Or was there a different reason? Running the fabric through his fingertips, he inhaled a bit deeper. It suited you. You could be incredibly annoying, but you were also comforting. It had been your calming presence that had helped him out earlier today. 

As he delicately scrubbed your sweater clean, dried it, and even folded it for you, he decided maybe he wouldn’t wash his own coat after all. 

-

Levi was writing something down on a small scrap of paper, amused, as he heard the footsteps approaching his office. He was about to cover the note he had been working on when he realized who the intruder was.

“Oh, it’s just you shitty glasses.”

Taking no offense to the now-familiar nickname, Hange walked up to peek at the note she had no business reading. Levi had an almost childish glint in his eye she only saw when he told a bad joke, thinking himself clever, or did something that made him particularly proud. 

“What is that? Also, why? Were you expecting someone else? Perhaps a woman with a similar height to yours but a much nicer attitude?”

She leaned against the wall, smiling at him as she crossed her arms. Levi just rolled his eyes and ignored what she was implying.

“Of course that’s who I expected, she works here, remember? She’s my partner you idiot.”

Hange got annoyingly close to him once more, peeking over his shoulder at the note he had tried to move to the other side of the desk. She was a bit too close for comfort., invading his personal space. 

_ And it smells like she’s wearing the same clothes again. As usual.  _

“Oh, is that a love note you are writing? Is that why it’s written in code?”

Levi was about to retort that no, it was  _ not _ a love note. In fact, it was the complete opposite when Hange picked up his teacup and took a sip without permission, nearly choking on it as she did.

_ Suits her right for touching my stuff.  _

“Wow. This is the most awful tasting tea I have ever had. Did you hit your head or something before brewing it? Did Freya forget to give you the tea leaves I recommended?”

Levi’s eyes narrowed. So it had been her that gave her the idea after all. Snatching his teacup back, he placed it back where it belonged. He noticed nearly half of the tea was gone from the large gulp she had taken the liberty to take. At least he had less of it to drink now. 

He had noticed she had tried to follow his previous instructions. The tea was still horrible, but it was slightly less disgusting than yesterday’s. 

“Mind your own business, four eyes. Also, Reader brewed it not me. As if I would consciously make such a horrible cup of tea.” Hange was staring at him with wide eyes, making him feel confused. Levi wondered if  _ she _ had been the one to hit her head to look at him like that. Maybe she was getting high from all the fumes in her office. 

“You mean…” she enunciated slowly. “You let someone else make your tea.” 

_ Tch. So? _

“Not only did you let someone else make your tea, meaning you let other people touch your stuff willingly, but you are  _ drinking  _ this tea despite your ridiculous standards?”

Levi was getting irritated now. He really wished she would stop pestering him. 

“So what if I am? I hate wasting food.” 

But Hange wasn’t satisfied with that reply. She leaned forward, putting both arms on top of her desk to make him look at her. 

“Levi, last time somebody accidentally gave you a bad cup of tea, you yelled at the poor intern, threw the tea out the window, and made him run fifty laps for, and I quote, “ _ Making me drink stale piss and touching my fucking property _ .” 

“That is the reason we agreed to let you keep a tea caddy in your own office, no one wanted to deal with you harassing people in the break room anymo-”

“-Your point is? I don’t have all day. Spit out what you’re here for and get it over with,” he retorted. Everybody seemed to want to get on his nerves lately. First, it was you, resolute in making him catch a cold, and then it was Hange, provoking him over a cup of fucking tea she shouldn’t have drunk, to begin with.

“Right. I just need your finished reports on the 72nd street murder case. The one from last month? Now that the man is behind bars, we’re closing the case.”

He was already looking for the report before she finished her sentence, wanting her out of his office as soon as possible when she continued. 

“Oh, and I need to confirm your assistance at this month’s party. Petra is helping me this time and you know how worried she gets over every last detail.”

_ Not this again. How many times did he have to say he hated dealing with drunken idiots on his time off. It was bad enough dealing with them sober.  _

Levi tossed the report at her, knowing she would catch it. He finished writing down his note and folded it, placing it on the corner of his desk in case she tried to peek at it again. He pinched the bridge of his nose, feeling a headache building. 

“I’m not going. You should have known the answer. Is that all? I have work to do.”

Hange hesitated before speaking this time, seeming to contemplate something as her eyes lingered on him for a second longer than usual.

“You know… Freya volunteered to help us this time. She looks excited about the party.”

Levi paused, only for a second, before responding.

“Good for her.”

Hange nodded, trying to take his teacup away only to have him slap her hand away.

“And don’t touch my stuff.” 

_ She literally just said she knows I hate people touching my stuff, is she dense?  _

“Right? I heard the guys were excited about it. Eld mentioned thinking she was cute after the meeting. He even asked Petra to invite her to see them work with the trainees. I think he’ll be happy to know she’s go-”

“Eld can fuck himself sideways. I don’t need him distracting my partner from her work,” he grunted with forced indifference. 

“Right. Except the party is on a weekend. Which you would know if you ever went. Last Saturday of the month by the way. You know, in case you were wondering.”

Levi picked up a case file he was already done working on, pretending to leaf through it with interest. He made his eyes move around the page as though he were reading. Never mind the fact he had opened the file to a blank page. 

“I don’t. I’m sure there will be too much for me to do that day anyway. Besides, what time do they even start at, 8? I’m usually cleaning at that time. Don’t think I can make it. Too busy.”

Behind him, Hange was smiling knowingly, looking at the copy of the file he had in his hands. From the title written into the edge of the folder, she recognized it as a case he had already turned in. A week before. With adjustments too. 

“They start at 9 actually. People tend to get them until 10 though. They usually go on until early morning since people can just crash the next day. Not that you’d care of course,” she said, pretending to admire her fingernails as she walked around the desk. 

The poorly folder note on his desk seemed to have some sort of gibberish she couldn’t decipher. All she could see from the exposed lifted corner was a string of letters that made up no recognizable words. Maybe it  _ was  _ a love note? It seemed way too early for that in her opinion, but Levi was always strange. It had taken him weeks to speak to anyone but his previous partner when he was first hired yet here he was, overprotective of his new work partner after only a couple of days. 

Levi only hummed in response, eyeing her over the top of the file. His grey eyes were boring into her, giving a quick glance to the desk behind her belonging to his newest coworker. 

“Don’t count on me being there. I probably won’t go.”

The woman nodded, faking her disappointment as she answered. She even let out a dramatic sigh. 

“Of course not, I will write you down, either way, you know, just in case. Like I always do.”’

Hange was now about to leave, finally giving him the space he wanted before she stopped at the door. Eyes squinted in suspicion, she looked over her shoulder and asked one last question.

“Why are you wearing your coat inside by the way? You’ve never done that before.”

Levi was about to respond, a variety of excuses ready to burst from his tongue.

_ “It’s too cold today,”  _ he was about to say, but Hange was already gone, half skipping down the halfway, a knowing smile on her face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just want to take the time to thank all of you who are reading for your support again! There will be a cipher/puzzle in the next chapter, so get your pen and paper ready to solve it! Your comments mean the world to me, let me know if you are enjoying the story. 
> 
> Update 1: I have been posting as I finish editing the chapters so far, but I may slow down to once a week soon once the story has been set up and we get into the more complicated parts of the story. For now, though, enjoy the small amount of time between updates!
> 
> Update 2: I wanted to address the fact that I finally settled on second person when other people's POV's are used. I went back to previous chapters to fix that to make it all more consistent. This is my first fic so it is definitely a learning experience. I am thinking of setting an established day for posting updates per week so I will let you know about that when it happens.


	4. Rondo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, the wrong questions will bring the right answers. Learning more about the past helps clarify the decisions that must be taken in the future.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> All I knew this morning when I woke  
> Is I know something now, know something I didn't before  
> Everything Has Changed - Taylor Swift  
> \-------------  
> Hi all! This chapter includes a puzzle, so be sure to have a pen and paper ready if you want to try your hand at solving it! I tried to explain how to go about it as best as I could as Reader worked through it to make it more engaging for you all.

The unfamiliar office was quiet around you. 

Petra had been gone for a few minutes now, probably going back to training the new interns and leaving you to sift through the dusty files in Hange’s room alone in comfortable silence. 

Items ranging everywhere from folders to test tubes littered the space in a disorganized mess that you were sure would give Levi a stroke, but you were unbothered by it. Besides, it seemed to fit Hange’s personality well; genius wrapped up in entropy. You had no right to complain about the disorganized state, either way, you were a bit of a mess yourself.

Clothes still dirtied the floor of your apartment, even now and you recalled a couple of used mugs sitting by your sink as well. Ezra had always been the one to clean the apartment up for the two of us while you instead took care of other chores as best as you could. Maybe that is one of the reasons you got along so well with Hange from the start. 

As your fingers ran along the spines of the archives, only a few documents that could be of use jumped out at you. The earlier cases tied to the murdered had been inadequately managed and contained even fewer details than usual, pushing you to discard them, there was nothing to gain from reading those. 

Up until the third body had made its appearance, no one had suspected a serial killer so the gibberish attributing the first victims to gang violence or random attacks could remain safely ignored. 

You knew the reports detailing the state of the body and crime scene would be pristine, Armin being in charge of all physical analysis post mortem and Historia and Ymir being amazing investigators. However, there was a lack of interviews from onlookers and family members that would make their stories contain nothing new. The old team in charge had slacked in their approach, making everybody pleased when Erwin’s team took over, assured that all bases would be covered from thereon. 

Keenly aware of the previous facts, you decided to take only two case files with you in the end: the two most recent victims asides from Ilse. 

One of the records belonged to victim Eloise M., the young girl who had been murdered on her way back home from school. The other one had the name Ollie A. on the top, the man who never made it home from work. 

Curiously, you noticed there was a space where another file could have gone in the bookshelf, right where the rest of the serial registers were. 

It looked like someone had purposely pulled it out of there, trying to hide whatever was inside from the rest. You made a note to ask Hange about it later. If somebody had been allowed to remove the information, it was likely discarded evidence of no importance to the case, but it was better to be safe. Unlike the other documents on the shelf, you had no idea what the missing file could include. 

Nevertheless, your hands were full in both a figurative and physical way. You had all you could carry with you. For now, the ghost file could wait. 

Promptly, you started organizing everything else back in its place, doing your best to leave everything better than you had found it. It was an easy task, things having been piled precariously on top of each other when you first arrived. 

You wondered if there were any other documents you could get your hands on, perhaps with dismissed cases, somewhere in this department. There was a file that was of particular interest to you that you were hoping you could find. 

_ Maybe their file has more details than ours did, back at Mike’s building.  _

Cradling the two case files close to your chest, you started walking out of Hange’s office, thinking of heading back to your office before remembering your promise to Petra, and paused. 

The sound of the wind outside whistled through the cracks of the windows on the hallway, taunting you. It would probably be both too loud and windy to work outside and you knew you’d need to concentrate, yet you craved for a bit of fresh air. Your nose was still stuffy from having stood under the rain for so long and being stuck inside wasn’t helping. Not only that, but you enjoyed nature deeply and wanted to take advantage of the pleasant weather while it lasted. 

Maybe a bit of fresh air and some nice company was what you needed. Besides, you were invaded with curiosity to see how the new interns were doing. 

Sorting through your options, you concluded that it was likely Petra knew something about the file missing from the shelves as well, this could be a good time as any to ask. Maybe she had other useful information regarding the case as well, having been here far longer than you had. 

Making up your mind, you turned around and headed out for the large courtyard on the back of the building, your long skirt swishing around you as you walked. 

You knew that is where they usually performed all their drills. You only hoped they wouldn’t ask you to volunteer as an example for any of them, you thought in disdain. At least you could pretend to be too busy reading if they did, you preferred to exercise your mind rather than your body. 

The open space that greeted you was covered in freshly trimmed grass surrounded by trees and adorned with a few tables and chairs. The smell of yesterday’s storm lingered in the air, intensifying the scent of the trees surrounding the area to protect it from the outside and making you sigh in happiness. You silently thanked yourself for the inspiration, delighted to be outside, even if only for a while. Hopefully, Levi wouldn’t mind working by himself for a bit, if anything he would probably appreciate having some personal space for a while. 

The area succeeded in feeling safe with the tall wall of the building on one side, the small forest on the other. This was on purpose, you knew, to discourage the occasional stray criminal from targeting young recruits during their training. It would do no good to have them harmed before they even had a chance to join the force.

As your gaze settled on a corner, you noticed Petra seemed to be giving the three newest interns instructions, Gunther standing next to her for support. The clothes they were wearing hinted at some sort of running activity, brown jackets sporting the two wings the detective force used as a logo in their backs. 

_ Good thing I wore a skirt, that’ll make it less likely they ask for my help.  _

As you approached, you noticed Oluo and Eld were also there, sitting together under a small bench protected by the long branches of the nearest tree. Choosing to join them instead of the previous duo preparing for a run, you walked over with a smile. 

“Yo, Freya, how are you!” greeted Eld with a grin, immediately moving to make some space for you besides him. Oluo, on the other hand, was too busy staring at Petra to notice you, something you found a bit charming. You wondered if he knew about her small crush on Levi and if that would change anything. Probably not, you guessed. 

“Hi both, is it okay if I join you? Was thinking of doing some work outside today.”   


Oluo, turning at the sound of your voice, waved, noticing you for the first time before immediately shifting his attention back to the other woman with fondness in his eyes. Eld was the only one who responded back.

“Definitely. Is there anything you need help with? I would love to help you get settled here better. You being new and all.”

You gave him a small smile in appreciation. “That would actually be great. I will let you know if there is anything, for now, I will probably just sit here and read if that is okay.”

Not waiting to see his reaction, you sat down on the spot next to him and opened up your files, setting one down on the table, the other one opened in your hands. You crossed your legs, getting comfortable on the bench and making sure the sun was hitting your back for warmth. 

Had you been noticing, you would have surely noticed the way he was looking at you from the corner of his eye. He had been admiring you since the meeting where you introduced yourself and had been looking for the change to approach you. 

Unaware of the man’s attentions and flipping your hair behind you to prevent it from falling on your face, you started the first file, the one with Eloise’s name, to see what you could find. Eloise Margar was her full name, it stated. 

As efficiently as you could, you read through it, looking at the facts and memorizing as much as you could to add to your notes later on. You silently wished you had brought something to write with but it was too late to go back inside so your mind would have to do. 

Eloise, aged 20, had been attending night school for a few months before the incident. She was living with her elderly parents, helping take care of the house as she prepared to finish college and get a job to help pay for some extra help. 

According to the information given, she had fallen behind on her coursework after her mother fell ill and tried to make up for it with the tutoring every Friday, picking night school to keep it from conflicting with her already busy schedule. 

_ Ilse was murdered in the middle of the week, so the killer does not stick to striking on a specific day. That is good to know, it can help narrow down suspects once we have any by comparing the time of the attacks to their work schedules.  _

Scanning through the rest of the report, you learned a few more details. 

Eloise had been single, with no significant other to suspect or learn more from. This, coupled with her parents’ mention that she didn’t really have friends either, made finding a suspect harder. Interviews with her professors had revealed little as well, all they could provide was the time she had left class at as they had no insight into her personal life.

This all made it challenging, parents who were ill and unable to leave the house as well as an antisocial girl with no friends on the outside meant you had nothing to go on except the murder itself. However, this could also mean the killer had been watching her for a while, it would have been easy to target someone like her, but only if you knew about her life. 

The pictures on her file were not of much help either. The coroner’s notes were thorough, telling you what you already knew. Damage to the posterior triangle of the trapezius muscle, right on the nape of the neck. A clean severing of the spaces in between the spinal cord. All of this you were familiar with, so you tried to think of what to make of it instead. 

_ Maybe the killer is a doctor? It requires some medical knowledge to make a cut that precise. Though it is not as if that is any type of obscure knowledge either. Maybe they have a neck fetish? No, the cuts would be in the front in that case. Who knows. Even the type of knife they used would be useful at this point. _

You made a mental note to speak to Armin later, it would be useful to listen to his opinion on this instead of only reading his notes. While it was only a small hunch, it was worth investigating all the same. After all, you had nothing to lose and everything to gain if you were right. 

With a small exhale, you put down the file. You absentmindedly play with a strand of your hair, looking into the distance considering what the next steps should be. Information on this case was scarce no matter how hard you looked. 

You shake your head, making yourself focus on what you do have, picking up the other folder. Maybe this one would have a bit more information. You reached out your arm, meaning to pick up the item on the table only to be stopped by Eld. He was trying to swipe it from under your fingers, subtly inching closer to you in the process. 

“Everything alright, Freya? You sound a bit sad. Your boyfriend make you mad or something?” he asked, trying to mask his intentions as curiosity instead of interest. 

Inadvertently, you grimace. He had no way of knowing how right he was, and how wrong at the same time. Your heart feels cold with the thought, icy tendrils wrapping around it and making you wish you could run back to the safety of your office where no one will ask questions you would rather not answer. 

Instead, you try to stand up, meaning to grab the file from his outstretched arm, but he was a bit too tall for that, smirking at you as he held it just right out of your reach, arm held high above his head. 

Thankfully, his game was interrupted by the sound of footsteps, making you both turn to find Petra looking at him, hands on her hips in disapproval.

“Eld, stop bullying her and give her that, she’s trying to do her work. Plus, you don’t want her complaining to Levi about your conduct, do you?”

Her words had the intended effect, making Eld’s eyes widen and sit down immediately, handing the file back as he did so in silence. It appeared your partner commanded a great deal of respect in others for some reason. 

“Thank you,” you whispered as you grabbed it, still unable to find your voice from the earlier comment. Petra notices, softening her gaze and holding out her arm to comfort you but stopping at the last second as her eyes flicker between the two of you. 

“Freya? Is everything alright? Eld, just what did you say?” she asked, earning her a guilty look from Eld as he scratched the back of his head. He wasn’t entirely sure what he had done wrong either, the last thing he wanted was to make you upset. 

“I was just messing around. I asked if her boyfriend made her sad. Sorry Reader, I don’t know if I crossed any lines?” he said, switching to your last name and trying to step back from the invisible line he wasn’t entirely certain he had crossed. 

You only shook your head at his words, not wanting to make him any more uncomfortable than he already was. Eld was nice, it really wasn’t his fault. You wanted to ignore he had said anything, but Oluo and Petra both were staring at you expectantly now, waiting to hear your answer.

Behind them, you noticed Gunther was now running around with the interns. At least that was one less pair of eyes scrutinizing you. 

Hesitantly, you think about whether you should clarify their doubts. They probably deserved to know more about you, seeing as how you would all be entrusting your lives into the other’s hands at one point or another. Feelings couldn’t interfere with duty, after all. 

“It’s not your fault. I just… I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. It honestly is alright,” you reassured.

Your words sounded empty, even to your ears. Petra noticed the uncertainty too, turning to look at the men, making sure to hold their gaze individually as she did.

“Why don’t you both go and help Gunther? I have some things I want to talk to Freya about regarding the party and I would hate to spoil it for you all in advance!”

Oluo stood up immediately, wanting to please her. Eld took a few seconds longer, looking at you in apology before finally nodding, standing up to leave. As he walked away, he looked at you over his shoulders a couple of times. 

“That should give us a few minutes alone. Now, are you really okay? You truly don’t have to share if you don’t want to, but it might help?” she offered. 

Petra is nice. Out of all the people in the office so far, she and Hange were your favorites. Asides from your unusual partner, of course. Pushing one last fledging thought of fleeing from the conversation, you settle on opening your heart to her despite your fear of oversharing. 

For once, you felt inclined to listen and be listened to, it would make it easier to have someone to talk to regarding Ezra. You had been dancing with his ghost for months, pleads of regret evaporating in the air, tears falling to the floor in such vast amounts you were surprised you hadn’t drowned. 

“Petra… have you ever… lost someone you deeply cared about?” 

It’s a weird way to start when talking about a significant other, but you hoped getting straight to the point will make it easier to explain why it’s so hard to mention it. A lingering edge of cowardice to mention his name refrains you from spouting your feelings out without an instruction first. 

A pregnant pause filled the air at your words. Petra’s eyes glazed with poorly concealed sorrow, avoiding your gaze as she allowed herself to remember her own sadness. 

“I have. I… I lost my mother a few years back. It has been my father and me only since then,   
she admitted. “What do you mean by lost though? Freya… you can’t mean…?”

You look at her, a bit wary, before continuing. You can feel the ever-familiar sting in your eyes as you do. 

“Yeah… I... His name was Ezra” 

That’s all you can say at first. 

You don’t know just  _ how _ to describe it. The immense pain that overtakes you every time you think about him. How you can be happy, drowning in the memories one second only to be a broken mess on the floor the next, drowning in tears instead. How you desperately latch into his memory hoping the world will take pity on you and return him to your life. 

You wait for her to say anything, anything to save you from the words that are yet to come, but all she does is look at you in kind anticipation. She is waiting for you to continue, letting you know she won’t interrupt you if you need to rant. You appreciate that more than you can say, a small comfort amongst the pain. 

“We met when we were in college. We were only friends at first, but then, that’s how it usually starts, isn’t it?” You say with a sad smile that petra mirrors right back at you with only a second’s delay. 

“It took a while before we decided to take the plunge and date. I was still mourning having lost my mother and he… well, Ezra was… odd. He was extremely outgoing yet a bit of a recluse at the same time. One day all he would talk about would be partying, the next he’d just want to stay in and sleep all day. It was confusing, not knowing what his mood would be that day, but I guess I grew to like that. Love it even.”

The breeze circles around you, making you shiver a little. Perhaps his ghost is hugging you now for support, aching for your touch as you do for his. Vaguely, you remember you brought no sweater with you to work today, your thin shirt offering a minute amount of warmth. 

“We were together for almost a year. After moving together, everything seemed to be happening so quickly. He was only my second boyfriend ever, but it was easy to be myself around him. We probably experienced more in that year than some people do in decades. I should have known never to doubt his affections, but I… Well. I guess we all stumble sometimes.” As you remember, a sad smile falls on your face. You take a deep breath, detaching yourself from the future in hopes of avoiding the hurt. 

“The day it happened… I thought he had left me,” you admitted, still ashamed of it after all this time. 

“We had agreed to meet up for dinner, you see. A fancy restaurant in town, he felt like splurging he said. I arrived late, worrying he would be upset, but he wasn’t there.”

Inside your head, the memory starts playing, as though a movie were implanted into your mind. You can almost feel the chill of the cold November air, it was almost a year ago now. 

“I waited for half an hour before asking the staff, I thought maybe he was just late as well at first. They said he hadn’t arrived yet, and so I waited even more. One hour turned into two before I decided to give up and head back to our apartment.”

Petra was now holding her head on both arms, using her elbows to lean into the table in front of you both while she listened. Behind her, you could still see the men running with the interns. Jean and Eren seemed to be having some sort of argument, chests puffed up as they glared at each other, trying to see who was faster.

You exhale, letting out what seems to be the entirety of the air in your lungs escape before continuing, the air is so cold you can see your breath. 

“He wasn’t there either. I waited around some more, and I started to panic. His clothes, his things, they were all there. Even then, I doubted. I… don’t have much self-confidence. I thought he had somehow left me, caring more about running than taking his possessions with him. I should have known something was wrong.”

Silent tears well in your eyes before pouring down your face. You always try to hold them back, but they tended to stubbornly make their appearance every time despite your efforts.

“I was in a manic mode, pacing around the room when the cops knocked on my door. They… they found him. His body, I mean.”

Petra had reached out a hand and, needing the comfort, you took it. She silently nods at you as you do, letting you know it’s okay to continue. Ignoring the shudders invading your body now, you force yourself back into numbness. 

“I had to identify him. He had been stabbed, multiple times. I had no idea why, he had nothing of value on him. They didn’t know either. They tried to convince me it had been a gang, of course. That seems to be the default excuse in this god-forsaken city. But Petra, I  _ knew _ him. Better than anyone, there was absolutely no way it could be that. It made absolutely no sense”

You take a small breath before continuing, deciding whether it’d be smart to admit what you are thinking, but you are too far into your story to stop now.

“I… have always had my suspicions about what happened.”

Petra nods slowly, understanding what you are saying. Her voice is low when she answers.

“You think they were wrong. Something else… caught him. Right?”

Her hand squeezes yours, reassuringly. She believes you, of course. Most cases try to be dismissed as soon as they get reported, the police force having too much on their hands. It is only when teams such as Erwin’s intervene that anything gets done.

“I do. You see… he fought back. And he fought back well. The stabs wounds… they were all over his body but. You’re going to think I’m crazy but… months later…”

You groan. It’s difficult to know how to put it all into words without sounding crazy, so you backtrack a little. 

“I didn’t know what to believe at first. For months, all I could do was grieve. I was blind with pain, blind with rage that someone had taken the last person I had away from me. But then I noticed it. You see…. The memory of his body and the way it looked on that table is embedded in my memory. I can’t forget it, no matter how hard I try. So when I saw the new cases that had started to grow connected, I just  _ knew _ .”

Petra gives out a small gasp, eyes widening, finally understanding what you were hinting at.

“You don’t mean… You think, his case may be connected to the others? The serial killer? Wouldn’t we have caught it then?”

You notice the slight hesitation coating her words. You can’t blame her; you understand. The story is hard to believe but you dismiss her doubt, continuing in the hope somebody else will finally validate your theory.

“That is the thing, it does not seem connected at first. He had no stab wound on his neck, and his murder happened way before the other cases did, almost half a year in advance. But there was a deep gash on the  _ side  _ of his neck. Almost as though he had turned around at the last second,” you explain, pointing to the exact spot where what was likely the first cut had been made. 

“All the other wounds were stabs. They were precise, to the point. The gash on his neck, on the other hand, was uneven and weak. It was also the only mark on his body that was a slice instead of a thurst.”

It makes complete sense in your mind. If someone were standing behind you, planning on slashing the back of your nape, they would need a quick, accurate movement of their wrist to make sure the cut was both deep and strong enough. That is easy enough when a person doesn’t suspect anything and is standing still. When they are moving though, things change.

You had reconstructed the scene in your mind numerous times. A faceless person coming up behind Ezra, only for him to hear them approach, turning around at the last second and causing their hand to slip in surprise. 

The killer had probably panicked, noticing it was too late to stand back at that point, trying to make it look like a surprise attack instead with the multiple injuries. It was almost as though your beloved Ezra had been a practice session for what was to come.

In front of you, Petra was quiet, but you could see the wheels in her head turning, processing your words. You knew it made sense, Mike had thought it made sense too when you told him, but he had also presumed you may be reaching a bit, trying to make sense of a tragedy in the only way you knew how, as though it were a puzzle.

He had tried for you, you recognized. He had requested the case be reopened, reconsidered as part of the serial killer file, but he had been denied. Many months had passed, and the last thing the district wanted was a scandal. Even then, you had refused to give up.

You had begged him to be transferred to Erwin’s team once you saw he picked up the case, thinking you’d be able to fix it all somehow, but you had been refused. You didn’t hold it against him. Unless the killer was caught, there was no way of connecting the cases currently investigated to the one you were certain belonged with them. 

Transferring you without reason would have only made the higher-ups mad. You had slowly started to give it all up, apologizing to Ezra in your head for failing him, when Erwin sent out the challenge. 

You knew, even now, you had no way of connecting the two murders with the information you had, but you could catch the killer if you worked hard enough. If you did,  _ once _ you did, you could finally be at peace, knowing that your failure was not absolute. You couldn’t bring Ezra back, but you could honor his memory in the last way you had.

“You know,” Petra started, having thought it over, “I think Freya… You may be right. It may seem farfetched, but weirder things have happened.”

She shrugged as she said this, knowing, just as you did, that the truth was ironically not the last word when it came to your line of work. Unfortunately, a killer’s word mattered more than yours. Despite that, you felt a rush of relief flood through you. 

_ At least I’m not crazy. _

“Let me know if there is anything I can do to help? I know there isn’t much to do about it,” she concluded, understanding the politics of the system as well as you did, “but I want to be your ally, in any way I can.” The last part was said with a smile. 

It was a hard situation, both of your hands were tied, but that didn’t mean you were hopeless. The only way to fix this was by moving forward, dedicating your heart to the case and hoping that would be enough to bring the solution to light. 

You squeezed her hand back this time, thanking her for listening, and for believing in you. As the reality of everything you had said finally caught up to you, you shivered again. Whether it was the weather or your state of mind, your body was freezing. You wished you had a cup of coffee with you. 

“You know, if you really want to help… for now, can we just change the subject?” you said as you smiled apologetically. It had been draining to talk about it all. 

Catching up on your mood, she smiled back at you and nodded.

“What did you want to talk about?”

At that, a thought crossed your mind, and you smiled a bit wider, genuinely this time. 

You could ask her about the missing file in Hange’s office, but you were burnt out from talking about the case for now. Instead, what you wanted to ask was  _ that.  _

“Petra,” you started, a mischievous look in your eye. You were starting to push the sadness back, forcing it to retreat into the back of your mind. You could deal with it later.

“Do you… have a crush on Levi?”

She immediately withdrew her hand in surprise as it flew to her mouth instead, turning the same color as her hair. Her eyes were so wide they looked ready to fly off her face. 

-

Back in your office, Levi was pacing. One foot in front of the other, each time with a little more force as he scoffed and cursed at nothing, his mouth pressed into a thin line. 

_ Where the hell is she? _

He had been waiting for you to arrive for ages now, running his hand through his usually neat locks and messing them up in the process. 

Not only had he been forced to talk to Hange already, starting off his day wrong, but he had wasted valuable time that could have been spent working on that stupid note for you instead. He knew you were in the office too since you had made him that shitty tea again, so you really had no excuse. 

Had he not learned to control his anger better years ago, he would have punched a hole through the wall already. Levi was not a patient man and he was standing precariously on the edge of his self-control right now. 

Should he go look for you? 

Couldn’t you behave like an adult for once, not needing him to drag you along everywhere and make sure you were okay? 

It was getting chilly outside. The wind was so strong it had started moving the branches of the trees on the window in front of him with force. Leaves were blowing in the breeze, indicating the start of fall. 

He doubted you were properly dressed for that; unless you had an arsenal of ridiculous sweaters at home. The one you left behind yesterday was still on your desk where he had placed it meaning you were probably freezing somewhere like the idiot you were.

Perhaps he should just sit down and work instead he thought, forcing his previous worries to recede.

But then, you were supposed to be his partner for fucks sake, how was any work on the case supposed to be done if you spent your time playing hide and seek instead of helping him. He wasn’t about to do all the hard work alone, that would be unfair.

Not that he was used to receiving any help before your arrival. 

Irrelevant.

Maybe he would drag you back by that stupid ribbon once he found you like the stray cat you were. 

Pausing his tirade to sink against the wall, Levi pinched the bridge of his nose. It seemed he would have to waste even more of his time going out and looking for you. It would do no good to have you get sick from the cold and proceed to use that as a shitty excuse to slack even more than you already were on the case. 

He would make you pay for that for sure. Maybe he would make you clean the entire office. Again. He had given up earlier and wiped the stupid coffee stains off of yours already. And swept the floor. He may have even organized your stationery for you. Not that you would notice.

_ Stupid, scatterbrained woman. _

Letting out a loud, frustrated exhale, Levi wondered again why he put up with you. 

Despite his promise to Erwin, he had still fully intended on suggesting you were reassigned the day you arrived. Still working under him, fulfilling the terms, but not working directly with him. It must have slipped his mind. Maybe he should write it down to remember talking to him about it in the future.

_ Later. Not now. _

Huffing, he started tapping his foot, arms crossed in annoyance. 

Levi was  _ never  _ fidgety, but he was starting to get bored of waiting for you to come back. He had been hoping an intern would pass by his office so he could task them with looking for you but knew better than to rely on that, people seemed to avoid him like the plague when he was enraged.

As Levi pondered on the multiple ways he would berate you for being away for an hour and twenty-three minutes, by his count, he took a deep breath, calming down a little thanks to the scent emitted by his coat. 

He had decided to keep it on just in case he had to run outside, it was cold after all. Nevermind the fact that he was starting to sweat under it from all the walking around. He had fully convinced himself his recent attachment to the garment had nothing to do with the lavender smell coming from it. 

Hange had mentioned you, he recalled. Maybe you were just working with her? If you were, he hoped you weren’t being used as a lab rat. Even if you unquestionably deserved it today. 

An image of Hange rubbing suspicious-looking substances on your exposed arm invaded his consciousness, making him wince. His body was invaded with remorse, if only for a second. 

People usually volunteered to help the woman only once before vowing to never again set foot in front of her when she had a new invention to try. But you were still new.

Maybe you didn’t know this … Maybe you were even gone because you were hurt, having volunteered yourself. 

_ Oh, for fucks sake.  _

Rolling his eyes in defeat, Levi straightened up and walked out the door, resigning himself to chasing after you. It would be the first time, but certainly not the last.

-

Petra’s eyelids fluttered in surprise.

“How did… Who told… What do you…”

She was so flustered you couldn’t help but smile. Looking down at her hands, she released a small sigh, pouting as she avoided your sight.

“Am I really that obvious that it took you two days to catch up on that?”

Giving out a small giggle, you patted her hand.

“You know, reading people is an integral part of our job. Don’t worry, I doubt he’s noticed. Most men I’ve met are denser than a brick wall when it comes to women’s affections towards them.”

She chuckled at that; thankfully. You didn’t want your friendship to end before it even had the chance to begin because you were being nosy.

“I don’t know about that. He is a very perceptive man you know?” Petra was still blushing as she gazed at you in embarrassment.

“What I think,” you remarked, “ is that you may think too highly of him. He is still a man, you know.”

The woman was grinning, but you could tell she still disagreed with you. Maybe it was because she wasn’t forced to spend hours with him each day. 

“He’s actually quite… special once you get to know him. You will notice that soon enough, I think. He may have a rough exterior, but he is one of the most caring people in here.”

You could tell she was being sincere, her words coated in sincerity and respect. 

You had to admit, he wasn’t that bad. A memory of him throwing his coat on top of you to protect your already soaked self from the rain yesterday came to mind. You wondered if you should mention that, agreeing with her as thanks for having listened to you earlier. 

“Hmmm. Maybe.” 

“He really is! Plus you should see how much he fusses over the recruits. You haven’t seen that yet either because they are all new, but he trains them individually every single time, just to make sure they know how to defend themselves it if comes to that. He also-”

“-Oi, are you talking about the captain.”

_ The captain? _

Oluo, Gunther and Eld were back. Behind them, the recruits were sprawled all over the ground, depleted from their run. Despite their fatigue, you could see Jean and Eren giving petty kicks to each other every few seconds making you snort in amusement.

“We are! That is his nickname, by the way, Freya. It fits him well. He is all authoritative and stern, but he looks over everyone as though they were all part of his team.”

“Yes, he cares too much for these stupid brats,” added Oluo, his pitiful attempt at trying to sound like Levi evident to you all. 

_ That is… a bit cringy. _

Regardless, you nearly slapped yourself in realization a mere second later. Of  _ course, _ he would try to act like the man, you considered as you saw the way he sneaked glances at Petra. He was even wearing a stupid cravat. 

_ At least it will catch all the drool from looking at Petra for him. _

Strutting up towards you, Eld put an arm around your shoulder, making your back stiffen a bit. You were still drained from your earlier talk and were not expecting the physical touch. 

“So, are you two done with your girl talk, then?”

The gesture was making you more uncomfortable with each passing second, but you were too shy to push him away. You didn’t want to appear rude, after all. Besides, the shared body warmth was admittedly nice against the cold air notwithstanding the obvious intentions behind it.

“Oh, let it be, Eld. We have better things to talk about than boys you know.”

That was only half the truth, but you welcomed the lie. You had technically been talking about boys, just not in the way they thought, at least not for the first half of your conversation.

Gunther and Oluo had sat on each side of Petra, making themselves comfortable while you talked. Gunther was about to pick up the files you had abandoned when you reached out to stop him, secretly glad for the excuse to shrug off Eld’s arm in the process. 

“I’m not sure if you’re allowed to look at those,” you stated. 

He only shrugged, putting them back down and crossing his arms behind his head. He didn’t seem too bothered at all, so you dragged both files back towards you, making sure to slide an inch to your left as you did. You decided the body heat wasn’t worth the distress. 

“Hey, Freya. I am sorry about earlier, by the way,” apologized Eld next to you. He was a bit too close for your taste still, but you could see the honest look in his eyes depicting his regret. 

“It is really okay Eld, you had no way of knowing.” 

You were feeling a bit better now that you had shared with Petra. You understood she would share with them eventually as well, she had your permission to do so too. You trusted your new team, as new as they were to you. 

Besides, you were sure Erwin knew when he took you on, there was no way Mike hadn’t let it slip. The least you could do was clarify your earlier performance. 

“Long story short, there is no boyfriend to speak of… Kind of,” you admitted, “but Petra can fill you in on the details later,” you said, looking at her and noticing the sad smile on her face. 

She understood your soundless request; you would prefer not to go through the previous conversation again, but were okay with her sharing in your stead. 

The words had felt foreign in your mouth, but acknowledging he was gone was a little bit easier each time. You were not deluded into thinking you were expected to mourn forever and having friends who understood would make it more manageable. 

Sensing your reluctance to say anything more on the subject, Petra changed the topic for you all.

“So, are you all excited? We decided to go to a bar at the end of the month! It has karaoke too. I’ve heard their food is amazing as well.”

Bless the woman and her intuition for saving your butt from having to explain again.

All three men visibly cheered up at the admission, confirming what Hange had said about alcohol being the main incentive for the get-together. 

Behind them, Eren had stood up, emptying an entire water bottle on his head to cool off despite the breeze while Mikasa fussed over him. Jean stood to their side, telling off Eren for worrying her. 

Their carefree attitude reminded you of your own training days, making you nostalgic for the good old days. It was easier when you had no responsibilities, no expectations. Before when your nights had been for partying instead of tears and your days were filled with dreams instead of fears. 

Next to you, the training squad was still discussing the upcoming celebration. 

“Oh, that will be fun! Are we getting Erwin drunk again? We may even make him sing again! Remember the last time?” Gunther looked at the others as he said that.

_ Erwin? Singing? Oh, that is something I do not want to miss. _

In another failed attempt to mimic your partner, Oluo raised one eyebrow and responded.

“Tch. You all should be more professional you know. Brats.”

Next to you, Eld snorted. Gunther was rolling his eyes. They were surely all used to his attempts. You were starting to find them amusing yourself.

You were starting to get comfortable with them all, talking about possible activities you could do, asides from drinking, of course, when a stronger than before wind blew. Goosebumps covered your arms from the change, your hair blowing to the side and tangling itself up. 

Giving off a small sneeze, you felt a shiver run down your spine. You were never good with the cold. 

You were absentmindedly rubbing your arms for warmth, wishing you had Eren’s resistance to the chill, when you noticed Eld standing up, taking off the brown jacket on his shoulders. 

You just knew he was going to try and give it to you, making you awkward again. You were not deluded into thinking his intentions were only friendly, you were good at reading people, after all. 

Eld was nice, you begrudgingly admitted. He was tall and handsome and kind as well. You had spoken to him a bit when Erwin took you around to meet the entire team during your first day. You knew he was a competent detective, a valuable member of the force. Erwin had praised him even as you left to speak to others. 

However, you were nowhere near ready for a new relationship, your heart chained to the past. This was not your objective when clarifying you had no boyfriend to speak of. 

Mind racing, you were attempting to find an excuse to prevent him from making any more advances before a voice interrupted the chatter, doing it for you.

“Where the fuck have you been, Reader.”

All four people near you froze, straightening their backs and standing up straight. Even Eren, Mikasa, and Jean were standing to full attention now. Backs straight, looking at the man in respect. All that was missing was a salute. 

_ As though he were a real captain.  _

It would have been almost funny. If only the previous retort hadn’t been meant to chastise you. Your mouth had started turning into a smile when you sneezed again as you tried to answer. 

“I… We’ve been. The case… Petra and I-” you stuttered, looking at her for help except this time, she was quiet. You silently cursed her crush as you tried to think of what to say, all the while aware that there was nothing wrong with you being outside. Not that you were aware of, at least. You had been reading case files, surely that count? He was your partner, not your boss. 

Besides you, Eld had now resumed taking his jacket off, probably content with not being the recipient of the man’s scorn this time. 

Levi had been glaring at you before, but his eyes softened seeing the way you hugged yourself for warmth. It was brief. Noticing the actions of the man beside you as his eyes flickered between the both of you, they narrowed in annoyance once more, this time directed at him. 

“You better not be about to offer that shitty excuse of a jacket for warmth. What is she supposed to use it for, a handkerchief?”

If his words were surprising, his movements were even more so. 

Levi was now walking up behind you, giving an intimidating glare that stoped the blonde man in his tracks. Out of the corner of your eye, you noticed him shrugging off his own coat despite the cold, draping it across your shoulders for warmth. As he did, the tips of his fingers briefly brushed against your neck making a small shudder run down your spine. 

Petra was staring as he did, clearly upset by his actions. Next to her, Gunther and Oluo mimicked her confusion. Surely their captain had lost it, perhaps his tea had been poisoned? Not only was he allowing somebody else to touch his stuff, but he was doing so of his own volition.

Levi seemed unbothered by them though, choosing to address you instead as he remained between you and the blonde man.

“Come on, brat. You’ve had a long enough break, we have work to do.”

Still thankful the warmth you felt was not coming from Eld’s jacket, you chose not to fight him on that, standing up to follow him back.

“It’s not like I wasn’t working out here, you know,” you couldn’t help uttering before that. You didn’t want to obey without a fight lest he get the wrong idea., you weren’t a child who could be scolded as he pleased. 

Finally snapping out of her trance, Petra spoke up once more.

“She’s right, detective. She was reading the case files with us, she even has some good ideas about the case.” 

You gave her a small, appreciative look for backing you up. She had been nothing but kind to you today and you hoped you could repay her in some way. 

“Tch. She should be sharing those with me, not with you lot. I’m in charge of the case, after all.”

If Levi noticed the way those words irked you, he didn’t show it. Eyes narrowed, you turned towards him. 

“You mean  _ we  _ are in charge of the case, right, Levi?”

The casual way your name rolled of his tongue surprised the others. Had you maybe known the captain before joining the force? Few people could address him that way. 

“Whatever, brat. Let’s get going before your shitty cold gets worse.”

Though you rolled your eyes, you knew enough to understand this was his attempt at being nice, so pulled the coat closer to you and got ready to follow him back. Eld was picking up your files, attempting to return them to you when Levi snatched them out of his hand as well, carrying them for you. 

He was being unnecessarily rude, you thought, but chose to keep quiet. Instead, you turned to the woman in front of you.

“Thank you for the talk, Petra. I really appreciated you listening. We’ll talk some more later?” 

You didn’t want to go into too much detail, preferring to avoid any questions that may arise from that. She nodded at you, waving her hand in goodbye. 

As you walked after Levi however, you heard Eld speak, thinking you wouldn’t hear.

“So, Petra. What is the man’s name?”

-

Levi wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much. 

He liked Eld. He liked all of them. They had trained together for years and the man had never done anything to bother him before.

_ It’s just a shitty jacket _

He knew it was ridiculous, embarrassing even, but that hadn’t stopped his feet from moving of their own accord to step in between you both and glare up at the man. Hange’s words echoing in his mind as he looked up at him, all Levi wanted to do was punch him. 

Maybe it was because you reminded him of Isabelle. That had to be it, otherwise, there was no reason he should be feeling protective. 

Mentally cursing himself for the outburst, he had tried to get out of there as soon as he could, pausing only to give you his own coat in exchange. It was way warmer than the flimsy jacket the training squad wore for training either way. As he did, he had held back from patting your head, smoothing out the hair that was now out of place from the wind. 

On the way back to the office, he had noticed the sniffled you gave off every once in a while, clearly having been affected by the storm yesterday. 

_ Idiot. Who told you it was a good idea to stand in the rain for so long. _

Not that he had done any different. If anything, he had felt a bit cold himself last night. 

It was only because he was used to it that he had avoided sickness. He hadn’t grown up in the best conditions and was used to not being protected from the elements all the time. A little rain was nothing compared to what he had endured. 

Upon arriving at the office, he noticed in annoyance you were about to take off the coat to give it back, probably warm enough from the walk and the remainder of his body heat that had undoubtedly stayed on it. 

He reached out to stop you before you could, almost grabbing your arm but held back instead. His fingertips still tingled from where they had brushed against your skin earlier and he was not ready to replicate the confusing sensation. 

_ She’s only a woman, what the hell is wrong with you. You’ve touched plenty of women before.  _

“Just keep it on,” he said with a frown, thankful you couldn’t read his thoughts. You were frustrating in so many different ways already. “Clearly you need it more than me right now. Besides, I don’t want your stupid germs on me.”

His words only made you laugh though, making his frown deepen and making feel something foreign at the same time. He had decided he liked your laugh, the way you didn’t hold it back the way others did. It had an almost melodic quality to it that he wasn’t opposed to. 

“If you don’t want my germs then why did you give me your coat? Wouldn’t it make more sense for me to give it back then?” 

Levi ignored your words, not in the mood for arguing. He seemed to be catching something from the way his mood was all over the place. Instead, he leaned against the wall and looked at you, not knowing how to answer. 

You had a point.

Thinking of a way to avoid the question, he instead nodded towards your desk, making you see your neatly folded sweater on top.

“I brought back your stuff. Keep track of it next time, I’m not a fucking butler”

The way you smiled at that didn’t go unnoticed by him. The next words out of your mouth as you made yourself towards the space though, made him reflect.

“Do you always swear that much? Not that I mind, you know. Just wondering.”

Levi grimaced. 

He knew he could be crude sometimes, but he was rarely called out on it. He was too used to his way of speaking, it was simply what he would hear growing up. He did not want to jar you with his language though. 

He was still thinking of how to answer without biting his tongue off from overthinking his words when you picked up the sweater, letting the note hidden in between the folds fall down to the desk.

“Oh, what is this?” 

You had picked up the note and were walking over to your seat, opening it as you did. Once you saw what was written inside, you beamed, making him relish at the sight. 

“It’s a cipher! Levi! Did you do this?”

Levi couldn’t help the unexpected warmth that flooded his body as you looked at him with that smile. 

Yes, he was definitely catching something. Perhaps he had a cold after all. Your smile was wide as you scanned through the note, eyes absorbing the information as fast as you could. He had been right in his assumption you enjoyed solving these puzzles for fun rather than obligation only. 

Maybe you should read it before thanking him though, he pondered. You may not be so happy once you finished decoding the message. Whether the unfamiliar tug at his lips was a smirk or a smile at the thought, he didn’t know. He tried to convince himself it was the former as he looked at you once more. 

Putting down his note to look for what you needed to solve it, you picked up the sweater again, noticing the cleanliness for the first time.

_ Took you long enough. _

“Did you… wash my sweater,” you said with surprise. A bit too much. 

_ Should I not have? _

He didn’t know if you were happy or annoyed at him for it, so he chose to go with his usual safe way of answering back. 

“Tch. Well, it looked like you had no clue on how to do it yourself, so I decided to enlighten you.”

The way he refrained from swearing was not lost on you. Maybe you shouldn’t have mentioned it after all, you didn’t want him to change his ways for your comfort. 

You picked up the piece of clothing and brought it back to your face, inhaling the foreign smell thoughtfully. It had been nice of him to do this for you, he really shouldn’t have. 

“It smells nice. Thank you.”

_ It smelled nicer before… _

Dismissing the intrusive thought with a shake of his head, Levi walked back to his desk, leaving you to your game. It would be amusing to see you solve the note and he was looking forward to it. 

-

You decided to keep Levi’s coat on for now. You could faintly smell a lovely cologne wafting from its threads. Something resembling amber and pine mixed with a soft, clean smell. It smelled almost like a forest after the rain.

He didn’t seem to miss it too much at the moment either way.

You had been excited to see the cipher on the piece of paper, a puzzle was just what you needed to take your mind off of things. It mildly surprised you he had gone through the trouble, but you greatly appreciated it. 

Settling down in your chair comfortably, you took out a piece of paper and a couple of pens. The first step would be to figure out the decryption method. With a giddy smile on your face, you spread out the sheet of paper to get rid of any wrinkles and folds, making it easier to read.

His neat handwriting stared back at you from the page in a single, long line of text. It was all uppercase letters, no spaces. 

“CNFYSNTBLUTOEEIREPEULXMAAARRFYET”

As you looked at it, you smiled even wider. You knew what this was. There were no numbers anywhere, so a shift was out of the question. The lack of spaces also gave you a hint towards the first step, finding out the spaces between the hidden words. 

You doubted Levi had any fancy encryption tools laying around, so a box cipher seemed like the most obvious choice. It had been a while since you solved one of these so you went through the steps in your mind.

First, count the number of letters. Once that has been done, finding the largest divisible number is the next step.

Using a color pen to underline each letter individually as you counted, you made a note on a separate sheet you were using to decrypt. 32 letters, perfect.

Next up was the division. The most common and largest number you could think of was 8. Double-checking to see you were right, you divided 32 by 8, giving you 4. Now came the fun part.

A box cipher was nothing more than using the numbers obtained to arrange the letters in a matter that made it possible to read the code. You would be needing rows and columns. Because the largest number was 8, you would write out letters in clusters of 8 letters per line. Since the other number was 4, that was the number of lines you would have in the end. 

Once everything was arranged, all that would be left would be to read the message by columns. You would start reading at the first letter and work your way down, moving on to the next column as you read. 

Confident that you knew how to solve the puzzle now, you rewrote the letters in your own penmanship on the sheet of paper next to you.

“CNFYSNTBLUTOEEIREPEULXMAAARRFYET”

That would make them easier to read. Next, you separated the letters into clumps of 8 going left to right. 

“CNFYSNTB LUTOEEIR EPEULXMA AARRFYET”

Levi had walked up to stand next to you now, curious to see your process. You could feel his gaze on you as you took the next step, making the box. It only took you a minute to write out the first two lines, making sure to keep wide, even spaces in between each letter to make them easier to read in the end.

C N F Y S N T B

L U T O E E I R

You could see Levi was pleased with your speed. He seemed relaxed, arms crossed as he watched you work. You briefly looked up to him and smiled, still thankful for the entertainment he had provided. Looking back down at your work, you wrote out the remaining 2 lines making the box complete.

C N F Y S N T B

L U T O E E I R

E P E U L X M A

A A R R F Y E T

After down, you put your pen down to read the message, excited to see what it said.

_ C-l-e-a-n-u-p… Wait a second… _

Next to you, Levi smirked. 

_ Clean up after yourself next time, brat.  _

You couldn’t be sure, but it sounded like he snorted next to you, a scandalized look blossoming on your face. Here you were thinking he was being nice, making a little puzzle for you, giving you his coat. Instead, he seemed to be  _ laughing _ at you.

Not out loud, of course, but in his own way.

“You absolute jerk. That is so mean! I never asked you to wash my clothes you know!” Any previous fondness at his actions was starting to turn into indignation. 

If Levi was one to laugh, he would have been right now. The look on your face was hilarious. Your short stature, coupled with the way his coat was too wide for your shoulders, contrasting with the small stomp of your foot was adorable in a way. 

_ Petra must be blind. Levi is the absolute worst. _

Picking up the piece of paper you had so carefully written the answer on, you crumpled it in your hand. You knew you were being childish, but you didn’t care as you threw it at his face, finally wiping the annoying smirk off it.

“What the fu-What do you think you are doing?!” It was his turn to be annoyed. 

You stood up, not knowing what to do with yourself. Should you leave? He would probably just chase you again if you did. You were embarrassed, shameful to have considered Petra was right about him. 

He was still waiting for your response with narrowed eyes and, probably guessing your intention, moved to stand in front of the door.

“Oh, don’t you dare, we have work to do-”

“-if we are so busy how did you find the time to be mean by messing with me-”

“‘-Don’t flatter yourself, that probably took all of two minutes to make,” he lied. 

Levi was great at decryption, not encryption. Making the note had taken at least an hour. It had taken him even longer to decide what type of puzzle to use, but he wasn’t going to admit to that. You had no reason to know.

“Oh, I am sorry Mr. Perfect, maybe next time you should-”

“-Hey, did we miss something?”

Two clearly entertained faces were staring at you from above Levi’s shoulder, behind the doorway. Neither of you had noticed them arrive as you squabbled. 

Ymir pushed her way through Levi, Historia following closely behind.

“Oh nothing, Levi just decided to-”

“-Oh, I don’t actually care. I just wanted to shut you two up. We could hear you arguing down the goddamn hall,” said Ymir, making you blush. Historia was trying to hide her laughter next to her, reaffirming her words. 

While your face continued to increase in warmth, Levi looked indifferent. He didn’t seem to care, back to his usual cold mask. He looked more annoyed at having been interrupted than anything else.

“What the fuck do you two want. We’re busy.”

Ymir raised an eyebrow at his words, unconvinced, but it was Historia who spoke.

“We interviewed Ilse’s coworkers. We made some uhm. Discoveries. We thought you’d both be interested in hearing about them.”   


Ymir walked over to your desk, lifting herself off the ground to sit on top of it. Levi gave her an annoyed look as she did, clearly vexed after having taken the time to clean it earlier.

“Well, spit it out, we don’t have all day.”

Historia nodded, freezing up a little. Everybody seemed to be afraid of the runt for some reason.

“Well. We talked to her friend. Her coworker, the music teacher? Her name is Ida. She is really nice!”

Levi rolled his eyes, she was probably taking too long to get to the point for his liking. Next to you, Ymir had started playing with one of your pens. She had the pink, glittery utensil in her fingers, giving you a weirded-out look, something like disgust etched upon her face.

“And?” pressed Levi, wanting to get the two women out of their office as quickly as possible.

“Well we have a recording if you want to hear it of course, but I figured I’d tell you in person either way. You see, it seems Ilse may have been lying a bit. To uhm. People. She was… dishonest.”

Levi frowned, not understanding her words yet. Wordlessly, he snatched your pen from Ymir, putting it on his pocket instead. You silently thanked him for that, deciding to ask for it back after they left. It was your favorite.

Historia was looking pressured, not knowing how to phrase what she wanted when Ymir got exasperated and blurted the words out, finishing her explanation for her.

“The bitch was having an affair. There. That’s what we found out. Enjoy telling her husband. Or don’t, I don’t care. Just thought you’d like to know.”

_ Oh no.  _

The image of Mr. Lagnar, crying as he expressed just how perfect his wife jumped out at you. From the look on Levi’s eyes, he was thinking the same. 

This complicated  _ everything. _

Had Ilse been killed by her lover? If she was, was that the person you were looking for? Had her husband lied about it all, killing her and hiding the crime by making it look like a copycat murder? 

As the two women turned to leave, tossing a tape recorder at Levi as they did, you sank into your chair once more and stared at the ceiling. This case was proving to be more complicated than you thought. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed that! I was feeling nervous about this chapter since not a lot happens, but it was important to explain Reader's/ your motivations in joining the team and why you feel so drawn into catching the killer. I hope you all enjoyed the cipher included as well! There are many more I have planned, just trying to make sure they fit into the story as well so they will be spaced out accordingly. The next chapter is about halfway done so I will get that up sometime this week, hopefully :). We are now getting a bit deeper into the actual story so there may be more exposition-heavy chapters like this but I will try to balance them out with the fluff and angst! I'm excited to get to all the good interactions!
> 
> Let me know what you all thought! Reading your comments always makes my day :).


	5. Sostenuto

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A month has passed. Friendships grow, and maybe, even something more?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we can deny it as much as we want  
> But in time our feelings will show  
> Almost is Never Enough - Ariana Grande

The days started blending into each other as you settled into your role. Sooner than you expected, you became accustomed to your new routine; the faces that had been so unfamiliar at first turned into friendly ones instead. 

With Ezra’s death anniversary quickly approaching, you busied yourself with the case as much as you could, fueled by the need to distract yourself over its impending arrival. Ymir’s revelation had brought a new wave of questions none of you were ready to address but were forced to entertain regardless. 

A memory of the last meeting you had together was still fresh in your mind.

_ “Is that confirmed?” _

_ You were now sitting at a table with Ymir, Historia, and Levi. Hange was pacing around the room, choosing to listen as she walked instead of settling down with the rest. She claimed it helped get her creative spark flowing, allowing her to piece together the information more efficiently. _

_ It had taken them time to get permission to approach all of Ilse’s neighbors and co-workers, not everybody was comfortable with involving themselves in a murder case. So far, the two women had learned a few things from their efforts. _

_ Though it was still unconfirmed whether Ilse had a lover, one of her neighbors could confirm to seeing her with a man other than her husband on occasion.  _

_ This introduced the possibility of both the lover and the killer being male, a small amount of progress you welcomed with open arms. Since the usual weapon was a knife, there was no way of hinting at the murderer’s gender before. If the killer was a male, you could start narrowing down a database of existing criminals, hopefully getting a match. Though the possibility of the murderer being a female still existed, it would at least give you all something to do.  _

_ “As confirmed as it will be, I guess. The nosy old lady said she only saw him a few times but couldn’t describe his appearance. Blind as a bat, of course, just our luck. It doesn’t mean much, either way, it could have been a friend. We won’t know until we talk to the husband,” replied Ymir. _

_ It was unavoidable, everybody knew it.  _

_ It looked like the earlier promise your partner had made to Mr. Lagnar would be broken, you would be not only disturbing his peace once more but also possibly make it worse as well. It would be up to Erwin who would bear the news. It was unlikely he would assign Levi and you to make the visit again, especially now that you were so focused on advancing the rest of the case.  _

_ “Can we stop talking about this depressing shit now? It’s half-past five. I should have clocked out ages ago,” grunted Ymir. She was here to do her job and now that it was done, all she wanted was to go home. _

_ Seeing there was no reply, she pushed herself off her chair, dragging Historia with her. You had noticed they spent a lot of time together, seemingly outside of work as well. _

_ “See you later, hopefully with more alcohol in my body, you lot can be depressing.”  _

You had heard the tape several times now, being the only other solid piece of evidence you had, Levi by your side as you took your respective notes and voiced your theories to each other. It was important to be able to talk to each other when it came to a situation so complex. Working side by side was getting easier. Not that it would keep you from bickering with each other every once in a while. 

His once off-putting attitude had started to feel endearing as you learned to interpret his behavior, getting acquainted with his quirks. It no longer surprised you to arrive in the morning and find your desk had been reorganized, papers neatly stacked while Levi greeted you into the office in silence; he always arrived before you and stayed after you were gone. Though he rarely uttered a word, he would always make sure to meet your eyes, letting you know he was saying hi. 

You had unanimously decided to refrain from talking to Ilse’s husband so far, saving him the unnecessary heartbreak until the supposed lover was found. Ida had mentioned she knew of their existence but had no idea who it could be. Whether this had been a misunderstanding or a vital clue was yet to be seen. 

For now, Ymir and Historia were tasked with interviewing the rest of Ilse’s coworkers to find out more. Ymir wasn’t happy with Erwin’s decision to increase their workload but had ultimately been convinced by Historia that it would be for the best for the sake of continuity. 

Though the investigation was going way slower than you would have liked, you’d accept any progress you could. Besides, the killer had yet to make another move, possibly cautious now that it was public knowledge Erwin’s team was in charge. 

Your relationship with the rest of the team had improved as well, as the days turned into weeks. Before you knew it, it had been almost a month since you joined the team, the get-together quickly approaching and making the interns buzz with excitement. 

The nights were still difficult, the apartment around you colder each day. Many a night you had cried yourself to sleep while your body shivered in anticipation of the dreaded day, but your dreams had been slowly getting better. Where Ezra’s face use to plague them all, they were slowly being replaced with the friendly faces you saw in your everyday life. Your days were improving as well. 

You would cycle in between working with Levi inside your office, bringing him a cup of tea every day, and talking to Petra and her team in your free time. Every so often, Hange would join in as well, spouting about her newest theories and findings which you now knew enough about to not volunteer for, as much as you liked and admired her. It appeared as though Eren was her preferred test subject, he never seemed to tire of rashes and allergic reactions to the many salves and concoctions she tried on him. 

As the air got colder, the fondness you felt for these people grew. Even the interns were growing on you.

Eren seemed particularly excited to join the force and would beg you to convince Levi to train him personally every time he saw you while Mikasa was proving to be adept at stealth, she would make a great addition to the team when stalking out suspects once she graduated from the program. Jean had seemingly developed a bit of a crush on the mysterious girl, pining after her thinking no one could see and would speak of them with fondness behind their backs. 

Regarding other departments, you had noticed Armin would sneak glances at Annie whenever she made a particularly good contribution, trying to hide his smiles. Things seemed to be running along smoothly, or as smoothly as they could considering the situation. Life wasn’t perfect, but it was pleasant; more enjoyable than it had been in months. 

You were now pleasantly sipping from your cup, enjoying the look of the red leaves outside your window and observing the new flowers that had been planted outside to match the change in the season. The beautiful scenery never failed to make you smile, even when the day’s work was rough. 

You had been considering getting a plant to place on the windowsill to further brighten your days and had been debating asking Levi about it, thinking whether it’d be worth the risk of him saying no and if you should instead just go ahead and do it. Despite your constant friendly banter, he could still be unpredictable. 

_ A succulent, maybe? Just in case I forget to water it.  _

Lightly swaying in your chair as you debated, you started humming. The sound of leaves blowing in the breeze had reminded you of cozy afternoons with your mother, and you were happy to oblige the happy memories over the painful ones that had recently plagued your mind with a higher than usual intensity. 

Your mom had been an amazing musician, playing piano for you every day. You could still picture the way her fingers would fly across the white and black keys, melodies filling the air. 

When you were younger, she had lulled you to sleep with her music, and as you grew older her music turned into the soundtrack of your youth. Chopin in the mornings, Beethoven after lunch. Sometimes, you were treated to Rachaminoff. 

During your teens, you had tried to follow in her footsteps, disappointed after your attempts to find you were not adept at the piano like you had hoped. The way your fingers clumsily hit the keys did not improve with the classes you had been begging to take, but you enjoyed the pieces all the same. The tunes were close to your heart and helped you remember her each time you heard them. 

“That sounds pretty!” came the voice from the doorway, startling you a bit and making you go red. You never did this when others were around, not consciously at least. You were too embarrassed to. 

“I just wanted to swing by and talk about tomorrow if that’s okay with you! Erwin approved the budget for the party and I wanted to go over the details with you. Only if you have the time though!”

Petra didn’t want for you to answer, sitting down on the edge of your desk as Hange stood by the door behind her. She probably inferred you were free, seeing as how Levi was nowhere to be seen. He had walked out earlier to help Gunther teach hand to hand and self-defense to the interns. 

He was probably out in the courtyard right now, taking out his frustrations over the case on the poor recruits. You wish you were there to see that, you had heard of his impressive fighting skills. It was weird thinking of Levi doing anything other than glaring, so your curiosity kept growing with each praise his skill received from others. 

“Sure, what did you want to talk about?”   


Petra picked up your notepad, smiling as she saw the doodles you had made earlier. The one that caught her attention was probably that one of a grumpy, small man, devil horns drawn on his head and little puffs of smoke coming out as he seethed, arms crossed. Levi had been in a sour mood earlier for some reason and you hadn’t been able to help yourself.

“Well, for one, we all need to pick an intern to watch over, we’re dividing them up and making sure they’re safe. I was put in charge of Eren and figured you wouldn’t mind sharing custody with me? Unless you want to share with Hange and Moblit instead, that would be totally okay as well” she said, putting down the notepad in amusement.

“Sure, Eren is always nice.” 

Hange interrupted the conversation, feigned annoyance in her face.

“I wanted Eren on my team! But Mikasa refused to let him and volunteered instead. Said I may try to test a solution to spike his drinks. Can you believe that, me? Experimenting on him like that?”

Petra and you both stared at her.

_ She has to be kidding, right? _

Good thing Mikasa had intervened, Eren deserved a night off. Looking back at Petra, you noticed her playing with her hands, taking a breath as if to say something but stopping at the last second.    


You could tell there was something else she wanted to say so you titled your head to the right, letting her know you were listening. 

“I also… promised Eld I would amicably suggest you allow him to pick you up.” She was giving you an apologetic smile as she said this. The team knew about your past by now, but being aware of how long you had been mourning, for now, they seemed determined to help you move forward. You appreciated their efforts, but finding a partner was not your utmost priority at the moment. 

Grimacing at her words, you tried to think of the best way to turn her down. Maybe Hange could help, you could say you were infectious from volunteering for an experiment and couldn’t be too close to people for a few days. You didn’t have to though, Petra was already a step ahead before you could voice the question to the other person in the room.

“I told him not to get too hopeful. For one, I think he should have asked you himself if he really wanted that. Also, I said maybe it should be you to decide when to approach someone new, not us? It should be your choice when to… heal. From Ezra, I mean. We don’t mean to be pushy”

You appreciated her words, agreeing with them fully. The sentiment made your smile in fondness but your heart was still confused about what to do. 

Unbeknown to you both, there was now another person listening in to the conversation as he leaned against the wall right outside the door, arms crossed, silver eyes looking at the ground in scorn. 

_ Who the fuck was Ezra? _

Hange had noticed him approach but had stayed quiet, not wanting to interrupt whatever his reaction to the present conversation would be. She was increasingly invested in your interactions with each other. For now, a small smile was appearing on her face from the obvious irritated state of the man next to her. 

“Thank you, Petra. I would… rather not, to be honest. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve tried.”

You thought back to your brief attempts at courting other men with distaste, that had gone horribly for you both. 

You were not one for one-night stands and felt bad about going up to others only to turn them down in the end when you got too afraid. Faces of the different men who had looked at you in scorn after being told you changed your mind filled your head. 

You’d only had a couple of boyfriends over the years; your heart school sweetheart and Ezra. The first had been more of a silly relationship, more friendship than anything else. Ezra had been your friend first. Truly, you were a bit lost when it came to approaching men and had no idea where to start. 

“More than once if I am being honest. It never ended well.” 

Petra nodded, you had mentioned your previous ventures before, you had never even made it past a kiss with anyone. 

“No one is rushing you, take your time of course. Besides, it is okay to turn him down if he gets too persistent. In fact, it may even help.”

Thinking over the man’s attempts encompassing the last month, you gave her words a second thought. Turning him down could definitely decrease or even obliterate his attempts, but was that what he deserved? 

He had been nothing but sweet, pouring your coffee for you during meetings despite Levi’s insistence that he let you focus, smiling at you every time you contributed to the discussion of the current case analysis. He had also acquired the habit of swinging by to say good morning whenever he knew your partner was elsewhere, the way his spine stiffened whenever he spoke to him directly hinted that he still feared the man despite his attempts to pretend otherwise. 

Begrudgingly, you also had to admit it was nice; the attention. You missed having someone to talk to in more than a friendly manner, someone to hold you in their arms. 

It wasn’t his fault you were broken. Maybe it was worth a shot? You were willing to try as long as he remained aware of your situation and didn’t try to push you too fast.

“Petra, can I ask your opinion?”

She looked at you, slightly surprised at the change in your tone. Where speaking about Eld had made you sound frustrated, you were now calm.

“On Eld?”

You nodded. Outside the office, a pair of grey eyes clouded over in annoyance as he continued to listen in; hands clenched, turning his knuckles white. An image of you wearing Eld’s jacket came to mind, his hand surrounding yours. It made his stomach turn in disgust for some reason. 

Hange turned to look at him, lifting an eyebrow with a knowing look, and whispered,

“Jealous?”

Levi, in turn, only scoffed. “As if. If anything I can’t wait for her to make up her mind so I can go back to my office without feeling like I’m walking into some shitty fifth-grade sleepover.”

Hange covered her mouth to pretend from laughing and announcing his presence to the people in the office, she wanted to see how this played out. Levi was fooling no one by listening in to the conversation he could have interrupted minutes ago. Back inside, you and Petra were still talking, Levi peeking from the corner of his eye.

“He is a really nice guy. He has always been kind to other women, as far as I can see at least. He is also a great person overall, always looking out for others. He talks really sweetly about you too, you know. He has been going on and on about how he thinks you’re smart, catching up on the details others can’t. I think he’s impressed by your personality and wit more than anything else if that helps.”

You were still mulling over her words, reconsidering her proposal about Eld giving you a ride when your conversation was interrupted by Levi clearing his throat that the door, knowing where this conversation was going and, for some reason, not liking it one bit. 

“Are you two done gossiping now, or am I interrupting?” He said, lifting an eyebrow. Next to him, Hange snorted. You wondered how long he had been standing there and why none of them had said anything before then. 

He was wearing a white button-down shirt, sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and white pants. It was the same outfit you had seen the interns wear as they ran. The top buttons of his shirt were undone, his cravat untied and hanging from his neck giving you both a glimpse of his muscled chest. The only thing missing from his get-up was the jacket he had made fun of before. 

Besides you, Petra gulped loudly and, for once, you couldn’t blame her. 

You hadn’t expected your partner to look that way under his clothes. If anything, you cursed yourself as you caught your eyes lingering on the exposed skin as well, chastising your mind for wishing he’d chosen to forego just one more button. Maybe you  _ really _ needed a date if you were starting to oggle the short man. It was embarrassing. Levi was the last person you should be thinking of this way, so you shook your head, trying to dispel the thoughts that were creeping up on you at the sight.

“Oi, are you both deaf or something?” He was thankfully none the wiser to your stares. 

Blushing, Petra stood up and smoothed over her clothes, composing herself before you could. Hange gave up a loud laugh this time, having noticed how fluttered everyone in the room had suddenly become. 

She had seen the effect the short man had on others before, she had just not expected it to work on you and was feeling pleasantly surprised that it had. Maybe she wasn’t completely in the wrong with her suspicions. 

“I was actually just heading out! Freya and I were just talking about the party this weekend.” 

She surreptitiously covered the drawing in your notepad as she turned to leave the room, something you were thankful for. Levi could have caught a glimpse of the cartoon from where he stood and you doubted it would end well. 

“Were you thinking of attending, captain? Hange said you were actually considering it this time!” She looked at her as she said this, receiving a reassuring nod. 

Levi however, seemed to disagree. Scoffing, his eyes flickered towards instead you before answering. “I don’t know what gave her that ridiculous idea. I never agreed to attend.”

Petra’s smile faded, quickly replaced with a tinge of sadness. Hange rolled her eyes at his words, she had her suspicions that he would be attending in the end, however, it was time for her to take her leave. She had some work of her own to do.

“I’m heading to my office now, I left poor Moblit doing paperwork before coming here. Levi, be nice.” That last part was said with a pointed glance towards him before waving at you all and walking out.

Once she left, it was only the three of you left.

You couldn’t help but feel a bit bad for Petra, you knew she had been looking forward to him attending. Maybe you could convince him afterward? You even considered offering to clean up the office for him for a week if that could change his mind, not that you thought you’d do a better job than him. 

“Oh well... Anyway,” she started, exchanging her small frown with her usual smile, “I guess I will see you there then, Freya! Let me know if you want me to tell Eld-”

“-Petra, don’t you have some recruits to train?” interrupted Levi. He’d heard the other man’s name a few too many times already. Besides, his patience was running thin. 

He was giving her a cold stare, stepping to the side with an arm extended towards the door. His sudden rudeness was off-putting to you, but Petra barely stuttered, choosing to give him a small nod instead and taking her leave. You briefly wondered how often he chose to dismiss people in such a horrid way. 

“You’re right. Bye both, I hope you have a good workday.” The sound of her footsteps decreased in sound while you two remained in silence. Once you were certain she was out of hearing range, you turned to the man in front of you, a rare frown on your face.

“Would it kill you to be nicer to others? Petra is so kind and you had no reason to snap at her like that.”

He rolled his eyes, sliding the cravat off his neck and tossing it dismissively on top of his desk, exposing even more skin. Instead of walking towards it though, he came up to yours. Why did you care so much? Was it because she had been bringing you new of your precious Eld? Or whoever the hell Ezra was? 

He leaned over your desk, supporting his weight with his arms to hide the way his hands were turning into fists from irritation. As he did, he looked at you from between the locks framing his chiseled face, still slightly blushed from the exercise he had been performing the past few hours. His eyes reflected the light behind you, making them glint as they stared into yours and, was the office not freezing from the change of weather, you could have sworn he was the one to cause your shiver.

He was so close you could smell the cologne you had grown to associate with him, somehow still his overpowering scent despite having obviously been exercising prior to coming back. It was incredibly distracting, if only for a second. 

_ Maybe I should really take them up on their offer to date Eld, I am clearly going out of my mind.  _

“She’ll get over it, she’s used to me by now. Besides, you’re getting paid to catch a murderer, not gossip about guys,” he mocked. 

Trying to resist the pout appearing on your lips, you chose to turn around instead, giving him your back. He was being particularly irritating today and you didn’t want to look at him. 

_ Well… Maybe only a little... _

There was no need for him to take out his foul mood on you. Resisting the urge to look at him once more, you crossed your, persistent to ignore him. Whether this was to prevent him from seeing the blush creeping up on your cheeks now from your thoughts or your annoyance at his attitude, you weren’t sure. 

“Whatever.”

-

Levi was still rooted to the spot, staring at your back as you expertly ignored him. He had done nothing wrong, so he wasn’t about to be the one to speak first, turning instead to different methods to get you to speak. 

He had sighed loudly, failing to catch your attention, and was now tapping his foot, hoping that would frustrate you enough to turn around, but it was all in vain. 

He had been itching to ask a question ever since he first heard you speaking with Petra earlier, but didn’t want to cross any lines. 

_ Who is Ezra… _

He also didn’t want you to get the wrong impression, thinking he cared about you as anything else than a work partner, so he kept biting his tongue before the words could materialize. 

All he wanted was to know you weren’t distracted from work. It was bad enough that Eld kept chasing after you, let alone another person as well. It was driving him insane. There should be only one thing on your mind at the moment and that was working with him to catch the killer.

_ Leave it to her to finally be quiet when she should be speaking for once.  _

You hated silence, that had soon become evident, so over the past month he had learned plenty about you from your various rants. Some of it, lots actually, he had learned without asking. You liked to talk on and on whether he answered back or not. Bits and pieces he had overheard as you conversed with others as well. 

Other things, he had learned without any need for words.

He noticed how you enjoyed making small sketches of people on the corner of your notes, usually funny ones, that he secretly enjoyed; though he would never admit it. His favorite so far had been Erwin singing into a microphone wearing a pair of dark glasses he had seen you draw during a meeting. Levi had nearly choked on his tea when he saw, resorting to hiding it with a cough to prevent others from asking what was wrong. 

You enjoyed coffee probably as much as he loved tea, drinking a ridiculous amount every day, and were persistent in your attempts to make him drink your horribly brewed cups each day. You got cold easily, so much so that he had gained the habit of throwing his coat at your head whenever you as much as sniffled, your lavender scent impregnated into it by now. You were messy, clumsy, and got distracted far too easily. 

Some parts of your personality he had grown fond of, others still made him want to rip his hair out. 

None of the things he had learned, however, pointed towards you having someone waiting for you at home. He noticed you resisted Eld’s shitty attempt to court you despite the many creative ways he tried. As if Levi wouldn’t notice the muddy footsteps he left on his floor whenever he visited. 

_ Thank fucking god for that. _

He didn’t know why, but it relieved him to see you subtly turn the man down. He had assumed you were simply uninterested, but maybe there was another reason? 

Did another man wait for you at home every night? Was this Ezra the one you were thinking of when you stared into the distance, humming with a smile? Was somebody kissing that witty mouth of yours into silence?

It’s not like he cared, of course, he repeated like a mantra. He had better things to worry about and you had every right to do whatever you wanted with your life, yet the question burned behind his lips. 

_ Because she is my work partner. And I don’t want her distracted.  _

Thinking of a better way to introduce the topic, he decided to test the waters with a different question instead, finally done with the silence.

“So, are you going to agree to it?”

Looking over your shoulder, you gave Levi a confused look.

“Agree to what? Putting up with you? Don’t really have a choice now, do I.” You retorted, clearly still annoyed.

_ The shitty excuse for a date offer, that’s what, you brat. _

“Nothing, it’s not important,” he answered instead, pretending to stare at the window behind you. 

_ It doesn’t matter.  _

Noticing the way his shoulders deflated a bit, you felt a pang of guilt. 

He had probably not answered back at Petra so sharply on purpose earlier. Knowing Levi, he hadn’t even noticed. 

He had been having a rough day, you remembered, and Petra had seemed unbothered by it after all. Maybe you were being too harsh on him. 

His frustrations on the slow-moving pace of the case rivaled yours and he was quicker to show it in the way he acted, at least when you two were alone in the office. It was always subtle: a small frown towards nothing, a grunt as he tapped a finger on his desk, but you had noticed. 

“Levi?” His eyes softened a little at the sound of his name, clearly glad you were choosing to speak to him again. 

He hadn’t fixed up his appearance yet, still tethered to the spot by your desk though he was no longer leaning on it. You looked him in the eye, hoping to keep yourself from peeking at the distracting area right under his neck once more. 

_ Cut it out, Reader. Stop acting like a schoolgirl. _

“Can I ask… how did you learn to solve ciphers? I haven’t met many people who are well versed in them in the force before.” You had been wondering for a while, and it seemed a good topic as any to get him to relax. Or so you thought. 

Your innocent question had made his back stiffen up in discomfort, making you feel bad about it anew.

Levi knew you would find out eventually, everybody else remembered, after all. But the last thing he needed was pity, not from you. Admittedly, he could probably answer without giving away too much and he had questions of his own to ask, so he responded.

“I was...forced to learn. The note you solved wasn’t the first one that the murderer left, and others didn’t know enough about cryptography to take it on. I was as good of a candidate as anyone else so I decided to teach myself. I figured it would be useful to become better versed in it in case the killer left more notes afterward and I was right.” 

He said this with a shrug, as though it were the most natural thing in the world. On the inside though, all he felt was agony as he recalled both the way he had found that note and what it had said. It wasn’t something he liked to remember. 

“Hmmm. You know that is impressive. You are really fast at decoding for someone who has been doing it for so little time.” 

Levi noticed you chose to let the topic of the note itself and how it was related to the case slip. At that, he relaxed a bit more, thankful for the small mercy. You had probably caught on to his discomfort, getting better at reading his subtle signs. 

More than anything, it was nice to see you trust him with information that could be considered useful without the need to pry. You probably knew he would share if it was vital to the case. Thoughtfully, he pulled down the sleeves in his shirt, buttoning them at his wrists. He didn’t notice the small flicker of disappointment in your eyes as he did. 

“How did you learn? You seem to enjoy it as more than just a work skill.”

“My mother,” you answered with a smile. “She loved puzzles as much as I did. My father got sick when I was little and we had to spend most of our time in the hospital to care for him. She tried to distract me from the situation by teaching me how to decrypt ciphers. Not the most normal of activities for a child, but I loved it.”

He noticed it was a memory that brought you happiness despite the context. You had barely known your father, he had worked day and night to provide for you both. Most of your time was spent with your mother. 

“I spent most of my time with my mother when I was younger as well,” he said before he could think too much about his words. You had shared something from your past, it was only fair he do so as well.

“Hmm. What is she like?”

He sighed, closing his eyes as he remembered. Subtly, he corrected your impression that Kuchel was alive with his phrasing. It was something he had come to terms with a long time ago, there was no need to make you uncomfortable for your mistake. 

“She was kind. Always looking out for others even though she had little herself.”

Levi stared at you, still spaced out, probably lost in your memories. 

You still had many of the puzzles she had made for you, saved on a drawer back at home. Fondly, you remembered the puzzle Levi had made for you a while back. It was now folded neatly, put away in one of the drawers in your desk, admittedly funny now that some time had passed from the incident. 

Besides you, Levi was also remembering the only family he had known, how gentle and loving she had been for the fleeting time they had shared. He subconsciously lifted a hand to touch his cravat to run his fingers through the fabric, forgetting it was still on top of his desk. Was the ribbon on your hair of significance to you as well? It seemed as much a part of your look as his own cravat was of his. 

Your words were so quiet he almost didn’t hear them when you finally spoke again. 

“You know, this may be weird, but I think she would have liked you.”

He knew you meant your mother without asking, the peaceful look on your face hinted at it. 

“How so?”

“She always said she appreciated the small things in life,” you say with a shrug, trying to hold in your laughter. 

You had expected Levi to get annoyed at your joke, but he only smirked. The conversation seemed to have put him more at ease. 

He walked up to you, surprising you as he raised his arm to pat your head, ruffling your hair a little as he did. He still had many things he wanted to say, even more things he wanted to ask, but it could wait. 

“Get back to work, brat. We have stuff to do.”

-

_ “Dance with me!” _

_ Ezra laughed, looking down at you in amusement. His cheeks were still flushed from the alcohol, eyes glittering in the streetlights. _

_ “Dance? We’re in the middle of the street, and it’s pouring!” _

_ “Well, that just makes it even better doesn’t it?” _

_ He knew you loved the rain, but refused to get wet himself. He was now holding an umbrella over your head, pulling your arm back every time you tried to flee its protection. The street was silent around you besides the sound of the rain, it was 3 am and people were likely asleep in the comfort of their beds. You would have been as well, had you not been on your way back from a friend’s birthday party. _

_ “Come on, Ezra, dance with me?” This time, it was a question, a plead. You had worn a dress despite preferring pants, hoping you could convince him exactly of this. Ezra had two left feet and was too embarrassed to dance in front of others, even yourself, so you had waited until you two were alone to ask him once more. This was not the first time you had tried.  _

_ The dress you wore was red, loose sleeves going down to your elbows, a flowy skirt down to your knee that made a swishy sound when you moved. It made you feel like a runaway princess, despite how silly you felt in it.  _

_ He was wearing jeans and a button-down shirt you had bought for him once. His usually tousled hair was neatly brushed, his usual smile decorating his face. In your mind, if you were the princess, then he was the perfect prince. If only he would oblige. _

_ “Next time, I promise,” he said with a kiss to your forehead, making you frown. _

_ “You always say that come on, there is no one here.” Pulling on his hand playfully, you started half singing, half whispering a song for him, hoping he would change his mind if there was the added pressure of music. _

_ “No one? What about the stars? I’m sure they’re watching, hoping I make a fool of myself.” _

_ You giggled, delighted at his words. He could be such a dork sometimes.  _

_ “The stars? Next, you’re going to tell me the moon is gossiping with them as well. How many glasses did you drink, my love?” _

_ Ezra smiled, picking you up from the grown and twirling you around, your laugh reverberating back at you from the alleys. _

_ “Not enough to dance, but lucky for you, enough to carry you home. I promise you we will dance, next time. And if the stars could speak, I’m sure they would be jealous of you right now. Just for the record.” He accentuated the promise with another kiss on your forehead, making you sign and give up for now. You would convince him eventually. _

He never did give you that dance, you thought as you stared at yourself in the mirror, that same red dress hanging from your frame, the same stars looking down from your window. You doubted they were jealous tonight, your eyes sparkled nowhere near as much they had that night. If the moon was gossiping, perhaps it was in pity. 

You loosened your hair, saving your ribbon in your pocket instead. It would feel wrong to wear it when you were about to try and meet another man, after all, but you still wanted it closeby. Though you had turned down letting Eld pick you up for the party, you had promised him a drink together tonight, if only for a while. It was a small step, but an important one nonetheless.

Your various thoughts had you pacing back and forth in your apartment. Nervousness, guilt, remorse? No. Perhaps reluctance. A weakening chain condemning you to a spiraling darkness. It slowly was loosening its grip on you day by day, yet you stubbornly clung onto it, stubbornly clinging to its comfort.

_ Is it so wrong to want to be happy again?  _

You had been debating whether or not to wear make-up, amongst other things, for the past hour before settling on a natural look. You weren’t too fond of wearing it, but it made you feel more put together and that was what mattered. Any comfort you could find tonight, you would take. 

_ If only my heart would stop beating so fast. Is it fear, or excitement? Is it you pulling it from a string wherever you are, begging me to turn back? Is it my heart telling me it’s okay to let it beat for someone else once more?  _

You couldn’t place the reason for your anxiousness, the party had sounded fun right up until this moment. You were determined to come back home alone, regardless of what happened either way, nowhere near ready for that step. You would not change your mind about that so it couldn’t be the reason your heart kept trying to escape from your chest.

_ It’s okay, it will only be a few hours. Some drinks with friends… Maybe something more. But nothing too crazy. I wonder if Levi will… no, probably not. _

You had been hoping your partner would change his mind if only so you could try and push him to speak to Petra. The two would look good together, you were sure. 

Uninvited, an image of the way he had looked after coming in from training came up before you could dismiss it. The way the muscles on his arms had stood out when he supported his weight on them, his piercing eyes through the silky, black hair falling like a curtain in front of them. You looked at yourself in the mirror, aware of the flush that appeared with it. This wasn’t the first time you thought back to that sight. 

_ Not this again… _

If there was one man you would not allow yourself to develop affections for, it was him. 

You put on your flats, refusing to wear heels even for this occasion and effectively distracting yourself from the warmth clutching at your chest now. If something happened, you would rather be able to run, your training stronger than the desire to increase your height. Not that anything would go wrong, this was a friendly get-together, and everyone present would be more than capable of fending off any danger, but it never hurt to be prepared.

Taking one last look into the mirror, you took a deep breath, pushing all other thoughts from your mind.

_ Okay, Freya, you got this.  _

As you made yourself to the bar the party would be held at, you tried to concentrate by thinking about the pair of brown eyes waiting there for you, still unaware that in your heart, a very different grey pair had started carving out a spot instead.

-

_ Fuck this.  _

It had been the third time he looked at his clock this past hour, well aware of the party starting without him now. Silently, he forced his gaze back on the report in front of him, tea growing cold from being untouched at the corner of his desk. He had brewed his usual cup only to forget about it a few minutes later.

He had been unable to concentrate, no matter how hard he tried. Every time he tried reading the words on the page, they morphed into a picture of Eld offering you his jacket, making his concentration waver. 

Maybe he didn’t know about this Ezra guy either?

_ Idiot.  _

He would probably try to flirt with you again tonight, mistakenly thinking you were available. Not that the thought concerned him at all. 

He briefly imagined himself going to the party, dismissing the thought as soon as it surfaced. The thought of all those drunk, loud people probably sitting in the smoky bar now disgusted him. Their clothes would likely smell for days. He much preferred the scent of the coat on his shoulders than that of a shitty-smelling bar. 

Leaning back in his chair, Levi stared at the desk in front of him. 

A pink pen was sitting beside the notes he had started, only to give up halfway through. He had taken it from Ymir that day and had been using it ever since, silently amused at how ridiculous it looked on his hands. Even Erwin had mocked him for it, he recalled.

_ “Be sure to give me the update once you talk to Ymir and Historia. Also, tell Freya that.. Levi... Is that pen… pink?” _

_ Levi had been jotting down Commander Eyebrow’s orders when he paused, looking up to meet his eyes indifferently.  _

_ “So? It writes just as well as any other pen, doesn’t it?” _

_ Erwin’s gaze did not waver, his massive caterpillar eyebrows knitting in confusion. _

_ “Why though? I thought you hated stuff like that?” _

_ Levi scoffed. Did this man have nothing better to do than waste his time questioning his choice of writing utensils? _

_ “Found it on the floor, seemed like a waste to leave it there. Anything else?” _

_ Erwin smirked, treacherously close to giving away his thoughts. Hange had been speaking to him about her suspicions, after all. _

_ “Nothing at all, Levi. Feel free to go back now. Dismissed.” _

He stood up and walked to his bedroom, unaware of what he was doing until he saw his open closet staring back at him. Maybe what he needed was a fresh set of clothes, he explained to himself. He had been wearing these all day.

Levi exchanged his shirt for a grey button-down, matching his eyes and black pants. He forewent his cravat, choosing to leave the first couple of buttons open instead. 

_ There. Fresh clothes. Perfect for… not lounging at home. _

He cursed. He could have put on something more comfortable but had chosen an outfit that would still allow him to leave if he so wanted. 

_ Not that I will. I have too much to do. _

He smoothed down his hair, taking a look at himself in the mirror as he did. It’s not as if him showing up would be weird, would it? The team always made sure he knew they saved him a spot in advance and they would always lament his absence at the office the next Monday. If anything, him going may save him that headache in the future.

Outside his window, the stars seemed to be laughing at him, mocking his indecision. 

_ What would you two say if you saw me like this? _

They would probably laugh, he knew. But then, they would also want him to go. 

Isabelle and Farlan had always dragged him to these events before. Not that he enjoyed them that much in the past, either way, everybody was usually too drunk to function taking any excuse to let loose from their job. They’d usually talk too much, forgetting about the night by the next morning, not remembering all their embarrassing stumbles. But it had been enjoyable watching his friends have fun. 

Isabelle would usually challenge Farlan to a drinking contest. Levi rarely joined in, his alcohol tolerance was high and gave him an unfair advantage over the rest. 

_ Friends... _

Could he consider you a friend? Or where you still only co-workers? Levi rarely opened up to anyone, yet he had already inadvertently gotten closer to you than people he had known for far longer. But then, you spend all your time working together, so it was hard not to. 

Would  _ you  _ want him to attend? You hadn’t mentioned it at all but had appeared sad when he told Petra he wasn’t. Though maybe that was for her sake and not yours? 

He knew Petra had a mild crush on him, it was hard not to notice the stares she gave him all the time. She would always try to approach him when he was alone, subtly brushing his arm with her body as she talked, thinking he wouldn’t notice. Once she had even hinted at wanting to have lunch with him. Not that he minded, except for the touching. She was an amazing woman, devoted and strong; just not one he would choose to date. 

No. Levi didn’t date. It could get too messy too quickly. Dating would mean getting too attached to someone that would inevitably leave in the end, and he couldn’t deal with that right now. This was the main reason he chose to keep his distance from others. Besides, there was no one who had caught his eye so far. Not enough to change his mind, at least. 

That isn’t to say Levi didn’t find anyone attractive. He recognized beauty when he saw it, but that had never been the most important thing to him. He had grown surrounded by many beautiful women. All their looks ended up doing for them was attracting the unwanted attention of men who held no respect for them.

It wasn’t their fault. Just like his mother, they had only been trying to earn an honest living, only to be taken advantage of by repugnant men. 

He would never like a woman only for her looks, he had decided. He would never be like those men who gave empty compliments, only to leave in the morning and never come back. If Levi ever dated anyone, there would have to be more reasons for it. What those would be, he didn’t know yet. 

Looking back at the clock on his wall, Levi noticed it had now been an hour since the festivities started. He was still on time if he so wanted. Running his hand through his neat hair, he felt his resolution to stay home waver. He  _ was  _ already dressed. 

He could always make his appearance, scout out the place to see how everyone was acting, and then leave if he got too bored. He could even say he had been around the area already and was merely passing by. 

_ Oh for fucks sake, what are you so afraid of? Four eyes? Eyebrows?  _

Grabbing his keys with a scowl, Levi walked through his apartment and opened the front door with a bit more force than necessary. He stepped through, closing it behind him without a backward glance. He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! I hoped you enjoyed that! It was a bit of a transition chapter, but the next one will be the party! What do you think/hope will happen? Do you like the amount of tension so far? A quick reminder that your comments make my day and I love hearing your thoughts <3
> 
> ALSO, I started another story! You can check it out in my profile. It's called The Silent Sounds of Shackled Hearts and it's inspired by Howl's Moving Castle. This story will be my main focus so that one will get less frequent updates, but I hope you still love it if you decide to check it out!


	6. Crescendo

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our hearts do not choose who to beat for

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hands getting cold  
> Losing feeling is getting old  
> Was I made from a broken mold?  
> Hurt, I can't shake  
> We've made every mistake  
> Only you know the way that I break  
> Idontwannabeyouanymore - Billie Eilish

You were welcomed into the bar by the overwhelming smell of alcohol and smoke, the sound of happy voices filling the air with cheer. Glasses were clinking everywhere, a woman singing in the karaoke, filling the air with the sound of her voice. The small space was furnished with tables, familiar faces situated all-around and drinking amicably. Though there were other patrons present, most of the people in attendance were your coworkers. 

Sasha and Connie were the only ones you saw with food, stuffing their faces with fries as they talked loudly about the movie they were going to see the coming week. They were accompanied by Bertholdt and Reiner as well who seemed to be contesting them on their choices. 

Nearby, Ymir and Historia were sharing a drink, lost in a world of their own as they whispered to each other. They were ignoring other people’s attempts to get them to join in, happy enough by being on their own. 

On the table closest to you, you recognized Marco from Mike’s team who immediately stood up to greet you. He had been talking to Jean who he surprisingly appeared well acquainted with. 

“Freya! It’s been a while! How have you been?”

Marco gave you a hug as he talked, handing his glass to Jean for safekeeping.

“Marco!” You hug him back, thrilled to see a friendly face from your previous team. The freckled man had always been kind to you and you’d shared many a talk while you worked at your former office. “I didn’t know you knew Jean! How have you been?”

Jean looks up at you, unsure of whether he should get up to say hi or not as well. You had only talked a couple of times before and he was probably feeling a bit out of place. It looked like they were in the middle of discussing something important too from the blush on his face and the way they had been trying to keep their voices low. 

Maybe you had interrupted something?

“Yeah, Jean and I used to go to the same school! He was just telling me about this girl named Mika-”

_ Oh. _

“-FREYA! Nice to see you!” said Jean jumping to his feet at once, covering Marco’s mouth with one hand and holding out the other in a half hug towards you. You give him a knowing smile, glancing at Mikasa who is sitting down with Eren at a different table before returning the greeting. It looks like they are talking with Armin and Annie about something themselves from the animated signs coming from Eren. Mikasa was covering her mouth with the red scarf you’d seen her wear before as she looked on. 

For now, you chose to save Jean the knowledge that everybody knows about his crush. 

“Likewise Jean, how are you getting along with the other interns? Anything interesting you’d like to share?”

Jean’s cheeks turn a shade darker and you notice him sneak a glimpse at the other table where Mikasa resides. It makes you fondly remember being their age. You silently root for him to ask her out, not that you would never acknowledge it in front of him. It would be nice to have something sweet to look forward to at the office. 

“It’s all good. Still a bit sore from training though, Captain sure gave us lots to work on.”

_ Right, the nickname. Captain. _

“Speaking of, do you think he’ll show up? We asked him when he trained us but he disregarded the question and made us run more laps for ‘poking our noses where they don’t belong.’”

Yes, that sounded like Levi alright. You simply shrug, you doubt he’s coming, but don’t want to crush his hopes about it either, you know how much they look up to him. 

“I really can’t say, your guess is as good as mine.” 

Saying that, you browse the room again, looking for your own friends. It would probably be frowned upon to drink with the interns, after all. You were supposed to be taking care of them, not the other way around. 

You immediately spot Hange who is waving at you excitedly, clearly already inebriated from the blush on her cheeks and the way she slightly staggers on her feet. Your old boss Mike is sitting next to her, shaking his head in embarrassment while Erwin merely looks on, a composed smile on his face. Next to them is a blond man with a beard you don’t recognize. 

He is wearing a white button-down shirt and pants, a red tie around his neck. Turning towards them, you wave goodbye to the two men behind you. 

“Excuse me both, I hope you have a great night! Marco, say hi to the team for me!” Marco and Jean both nod at you, sitting back down and waiting until you are past them to continue their talk. You try to suppress a laugh as you hear the sound of Jean smacking Marco in the head for his previous blunder, likely embarrassed at his conversation being exposed. 

You make your way towards Hange, noticing Gunther and Oluo beside them for the first time. Both men are looking at the current singer performing on the karaoke as they drink, exchanging words with each other occasionally. Petra and Eld are nowhere to be seen for now which you are secretly thankful for, you are still unsure if you are ready for all of this.

“Freya! You made it!” Hange jumps towards you, enveloping you in a hug. She squeezes you a bit too tightly, making you gasp for air. Behind her, you notice Moblit approaching with what looks like two glasses of water, clearly meant for her. He tries to get her attention by tapping on her shoulder but fails as she starts leaning on you with more of her weight. 

“Hange, I can’t breathe!” but she just laughs, hugging you tighter still.

“Aw, am I that breathtaking? Or are you confusing me for a certain grumpy short man?”

Were you able to inhale at all, you would have done all in your power to refute that statement. She couldn’t be more wrong. The only way Levi ever took your breath away was by tiring you out from arguing with him too much. 

_ Liar _ , your mind offered, but you dismiss it without a second thought. 

Thankfully, Moblit had now put the glasses down, working on prying a very tipsy Hange off you. 

Finally able to breathe, you filled your lungs before sitting down at the table. Moblit had dragged Hange off to the side, imploring her to drink some water or at least eat something to improve her state. Hange, on the other hand, was trying to lead Moblit to the stage, asking for him to sing in exchange. They continued to argue as you took your spot. 

“Freya, you know Mike, of course, but have you met Zeke?” Erwin said, guiding your attention back to the table and nodding towards the unknown presence in front of you. He had round spectacles and an oddly unsettling smile, eyes scrutinizing you before speaking.

“Yes, I’ve heard so much about you, Ms. Reader, isn’t it?” he said with an unimpressed tone. 

There was something you disliked about him immediately, but you couldn’t place what it was and, not wanting to give a bad impression to Erwin, you shook his outstretched hand. You noticed he lingered for a second too long before letting you go, putting you more on edge. 

“Call me Freya, nice to meet you, Mr. Zeke.”

Erwin was inspecting your reaction, private thoughts passing through his eyes as he did. If he liked the man or not himself was uncertain, Erwin would never let his feelings of disdain show in front of others, he was too professional for that. 

“Mr. Zeke is the head of our Marley department, he oversees our detectives from that precinct as I do with you all. I was just telling him about the cipher you solved and how efficient you are proving to be.” Erwin had his hands crossed in front of him now, his head resting on top of them. 

“Yes, he was. In fact, I was just telling Erwin how he should lend you to our team some time. We are greatly in need of women like you.” Zeke leaned back on his chair, hugging Erwin’s with his arm as he did, eyes glinting in amusement. While Erwin ignored this, possibly accustomed to his actions, Mike flinched. 

Sinking a bit lower into your seat, you turned to look at Erwin as you answered. Whether the air had gotten thicker or the unfamiliar man’s gaze was making you feel nauseous, you couldn’t tell. You took satisfaction in your good instincts when it came to people and something about this man was off. His attitude was unsettling to say the least. 

“I appreciate the offer, but I am actually settling in quite nicely in Chief Smith’s team. I feel we have a good chance of solving this case. Besides, were I to transfer anywhere it would probably be back to my own team,” you said, glancing at Mike for support who immediately nodded at your statement. 

“Of course. Just wanted to place that offer on the table. We could always use your… assets.” 

He tipped back his drink, draining his glass in one go while looking at you from his peripheral. Once that was done, he stood up, clearing his throat. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have rounds to make.”

At his departure, Mike sighed, catching your attention, his nose twitching in annoyance. 

“We are sorry, Reader. He is a high-ranking officer and we have no choice but to entertain his revolting personality. You understand. Sleazy, poor-smelling asshole. Always bothering the female detectives as if they had nothing better to do than entertain his advances.”

Of course, you did. While some people, like Erwin, prided themselves in a pristine investigative record, other chiefs were good for nothing more than convincing higher-ups of allocating funds. They would take on the least amount of cases possible, always giving out excuses and keeping their teams understaffed and underpaid. Zeke’s sleazy attitude hinted at him being one of the latter. 

Unfortunately, without people like him, the force would have no way of continuing their work. It made your stomach turn in revulsion to acknowledge it, but it would be unwise to say anything that could upset him. His connections with the higher-ups could have all of you out of your jobs if he so wanted, especially yours. 

At least he was gone for now. Looking at the two men in front of you, you wished you had a drink of your own. The night was already turning out far more complicated than you had expected and you could loosen up a little. 

Your wish to be saved from the awkward situation was fulfilled in the form of Petra approaching you with Eld. Though their arrival was not something that made you feel fully comfortable, reminding you of the small date you had promised, it was still better than whatever this was. 

“Freya! We had been waiting for you to arrive! I’m glad to see you made it!” 

Happy for the excuse to leave, you stood up and gave her a hug in greeting. You were about to do the same with Eld when you noticed him blush and settled for waving instead. He scratched the back of his head with his right hand, smiling as he spoke to you, giving you an awkward wave back. It was different from his usual laid-back attitude when he spoke to you, hinting at his own nervousness. 

“Hey there, Freya. You look nice.” He was looking you up and down, eyes settling a second too long where you would rather they didn’t before looking away altogether in shame. 

Petra was wearing a blue dress that accentuated her fairness while Eld wore jeans with a jacket, his long hair was tied back in a bun at the back of his neck. 

“So do you, I can’t say how happy I am to see you both. Should we go somewhere else?” Grabbing into each of their arms, you pulled them towards the bar. 

Petra gave you a confused glance while Eld seemed ecstatic with the development. You had always shrunk away from his touch before. You were about to explain the reason for your hastiness when Petra spotted Zeke across the bar and the wary glances you were giving his way. 

He was leaning against the wall with a new drink in his hand, staring at you three with unreadable eyes. 

“Oh, that repulsive man is here. I hate that. Each month he makes sure to show up just to try and guilt trip a different woman into going home with him because of his status. He even tries saying he will cut the funding to their department if they don’t. Erwin has been trying to get rid of him forever but the mayor loves him.”

Her words put the man’s actions into perspective, making your stomach turn once more. He had, of course, been trying to make you uncomfortable on purpose, seeing how far he could push you. Glad you had been right about him and that there was a safe amount of distance between the two of you now, you decided to avoid him for the rest of the night. You hoped Erwin would succeed in his endeavors against him. 

“I got that impression. Thank you both for showing up at the right time. It was very upsetting.” 

You all order drinks and find places around the bar. Petra was seated to your left while Eld remained on your right, blocking you from Zeke’s view, something you were vastly thankful for. 

“I am not surprised he approached you. He will probably leave soon though, he tends to give up once he fails a couple of times. Not the most persistent, thankfully.”

The bartender came back with your order, handing you a glass of wine. You weren’t in the mood for anything stronger tonight, something told you you would need to keep your head clear, your previous wish for alcohol decreasing by the second with the knowledge you had acquired. 

The three of you chatted about work, making polite questions about your plans for the following weekend as you listened to Hange sing with Moblit, it looked like she had succeeded in dragging the poor man into her charade and they were dueting an up beat theme. Once they were done, you all clapped politely before Petra stood up deciding to leave the two of you alone.

“I will be looking for Oluo and Gunther now, enjoy the night you both!” She gave a small wink before leaving, whispering in your ear as she walked beside you. “It’ll all be okay, Freya. Have fun!”

Eld downed his drink before turning around, taking a succinct breath as he smiled.

“Thank you for agreeing to spend some time with me. Petra explained your situation, so don’t worry about me pressuring you. I mean, It’s no secret I like you,” he said with a brief laugh, “but I am also happy to remain your friend if that is what you need. Not that it means I won’t try to change your mind.” He spoke the last bit with more determination, giving you a wide smile.

“Of course, Eld. I really appreciate it too, you know. I… haven’t done this in a while, so excuse me if I am just a blubbering fool.”

Eld waved at you dismissively. 

“Oh Freya, trust me, I don’t think you could be a blubbering fool if you tried.” 

Eld ordered another drink for himself, asking you if you wanted one as well and respecting your decision to have water instead. You had promised him a drink, you never mentioned what kind. For all he cared, you could be gulping down air and he would still be satisfied from having spent time with you.

You spoke more to each other about various topics ranging from work to your past times. 

It turned out Eld enjoyed hiking in his free time, loving nature and how free it made him feel. You told him about your love of puzzles and reading during wintry nights. One drink became two and, before long, a long line of empty glasses laid before you. The lights had dimmed significantly, creating a comfortable atmosphere around the two of you. 

Though you may not want to admit it at first, you were having fun. However, it did not feel like a date, not a romantic one at least. 

You had been thoroughly enjoying yourself, laughing at his jokes and making your own back, but your heart would not flutter at his smile, your cheeks stayed unblushed at his compliments. Eld didn’t seem to mind, he had said he would be patient, after all, and you appreciated that. Perhaps in time something would bloom, or maybe it wouldn’t and you would gain a friend. For now the best you could do was try. 

He had been true to his word of not pushing you and hadn’t as much as tried to kiss you, respecting the boundaries you had set. The most contact you had was when he leaned over to brush a stray hair from your face, smiling at you as he did. 

Once you were both sated with your conversations, the clock marking over an hour had passed, you parted ways. 

“Thank you, Freya. This was nice. Would it be okay to do this again at some point?” He asked.

You looked at the man in front of you. Though your heart was certain it held nothing past friendship for him, it was willing to let you reach out, to make an effort to heal.

“Of course, Eld. Thank you as well, this was fun.”

Hearing your answer, he smiled and took his leave, you could figure out the details later. Eld walked towards his training group while you made your way to the back door. You needed some air after having remained in the enclosed area for so long.

Unfortunately, your advance was stopped by a hand grabbing your arm brusquely.

“And just where do you think you are going, sweetheart?” murmured a voice in your ear, a breath heavy with alcohol invading your nose.

-

Levi had almost turned back. Multiple times now. 

Every time his car stopped at a light he had tried to convince himself to go back to the comfort of his apartment, go and clean something to take up his time instead, but he had been unable to. A strange magnetic pull was making him go to the bar tonight and so he kept driving through the feeling.

Once he stepped through the doors, he immediately frowned. The acrid smell of the establishment would surely remain in his clothes for days. He would likely have to wash them more than once to return them to their former state. 

He looked around at the over-crowded bar, telling himself it was his last chance to turn around and escape the obnoxiously loud people inside when he bumped into a very happy-looking Petra.

“Levi! You actually came!” She tried to go in for a hug only to stop when she saw his discomfort, he was not one for such shows of affection, but she had wanted to try regardless. 

He was looking around the area still, trying to place someone among the crowd.

“Is there somebody you’re looking for? Erwin is seated over there in the corner,” she said pointing with her hand. Levi followed it with his gaze, frowning slightly when he saw the table, only Erwin and Mike sat there.

“Where is everybody else?”

“You mean Hange? I saw Moblit trying to drag her away from the alcohol earlier, they must be somewhere around here.”

Levi hummed, getting exasperated already. He continued to scan the bar only for his eyes to settle on Zeke drinking on a corner, his mood immediately souring at the sight. 

“What is that fucking ape doing in here?”

He felt the sudden urge to punch something. Hard. 

That good-for-nothing excuse of a man had always gotten on his nerves. He represented everything Levi hated and he could never stomach being in his vicinity for long. 

He almost gave up on his pursuit, asking himself what the hell he was even doing here when he noticed you, sitting at the bar with Eld, laughing at one of his jokes and giving him a confused surge of disappointment at the sight. 

“So she took him up on the offer, after all.”

“Huh?” Petra followed his gaze, settling on your back. She couldn’t recall talking about your date with anyone else, but perhaps Hange or somebody else had let it slip. “Oh, how did you know about that? But yes, she did in the end! Aren’t they cute together?”

“Hmph. That’s not the word I would use,” he scoffed. 

Petra studied the man in front of her, a small hint of recognition flashing in her eyes. She knew Levi could be overprotective of others sometimes, she recalled how much he had looked over Isabelle, after all. 

“You care about her already, don’t you? I know she’s your partner but I’m sure she’ll be okay, you have no need to worry with Eld, Levi.” She placed her hand on his shoulder, mistaking his reactions for concerns about your safety.

“Tch. As if. She is perfectly capable of looking after herself.” He answered, dismissing her error. “I just don’t want her getting piss drunk and having it affect her performance. Excuse me, I think I need a drink.”

Levi passed by Petra, thinking of a good way of leaving without others seeing him, fully convinced that coming here had been a mistake when he felt a heavy hand on his shoulders. He knew who it was without turning, the heavy steps beforehand had given it away. 

“What do you want, Erwin?”

The hand shook a bit with the small laugh coming from the man behind him, Levi’s awareness of his surroundings had always been outstanding and Erwin never ceased to be impressed. 

“I am surprised to see you here.” 

Erwin held a glass in his hand with whiskey, his usual drink of choice.

“Yes, that seems to be the phrase of the night. Spit it out, what do you want?” said Levi, increasingly regretting his attendance. He should have left when he had the chance. 

Erwin walked in front of him, looking down at Levi with a raised eyebrow, eyes unreadable as always.

“Well, you hadn’t come to one of these events since… You know. I just wanted to say I am glad you are trying to leave that old apartment every once in a while.”

“Hmph. Already regretting my decision. I don’t know what possessed me to come here.”

Erwin smiled thoughtfully, looking at the distance for a second before taking a sip from the drink on his hand.

“I am guessing it has nothing to do with a particular young woman, of course.” His blue eyes rested on Levi’s face, noticing the small pause he gave before answering, the brief glance he flashed your way, and how his eyes narrowed towards Eld. 

“You would be correct, it does not have anything to do with that.” Levi was now crossing his arms, vexed by the constantly mistaken assumptions people were making about him tonight. 

Erwin hid a smile, Levi had never been good at dealing with emotions. He tended to keep them in until it got unhealthy. It was one of the reasons he had decided to push for giving him a partner once more, he could use someone to talk to, even if it was work-related at best. He had known the man for years now and could count the number of people he considered close friends in one hand, hopefully, you would join that list in time.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Eld stand and leave, you following closely after and disappearing into the party. 

“In that case, you would not care knowing that she seems to have just left her spot with a certain blond man already and is probably alone somewhere in here, in need of company.” 

“Tch. Like I care. She can talk to whoever the fuck she wants.”

“Hmm. Of course. Excuse me, Levi, I have some things I need to attend to. I hope you will stay for at least a while longer.” Erwin gave him that bothersome smile again, his gaze lingering before turning away. It irritated Levi to no end.

He supposed he should find you and make sure you weren’t getting into any trouble though, it was the least he could do. You were the least insufferable person here, after all. Besides, he may as well try to enjoy his time here, having made the trip already. 

He was about to make himself walk to the bar you had previously sat at, intent on getting himself that drink he had mentioned before searching when he felt a chill down his spine, tethering him to the spot. Something was wrong. Very wrong. 

His instincts made him turn around, scanning the area rapidly to spot the disturbance when he noticed Zeke pulling your arm, a sleazy smile on his face. He was leaning in close, his mouth close to your ear, visibly trying to drag you away with him despite your protests. 

Your discomfort was evident from the way you were trying to put as much distance in between the man and yourself and failing, your arm reddening under his grip. 

Levi’s legs moved on their own accord, nothing else on his brain but dragging his filthy hands off of you. He was close enough now to hear your conversation with the man, smell the disgusting smell of alcohol reeking off his body.

_ How fucking dare he?! _

“I appreciate the concern, Mr. Zeke but, as I said, I am perfectly fine on my own. You can let me go now.”

“Now, now, calm down love, all I want is to talk. Why are you being so difficult?”

Levi felt his blood boil at the sight, you were trying to get away without causing a scene. He, on the other hand, had no qualms in doing just that if it meant getting that piece of shit away from you. He didn’t give a rat’s ass about titles, let alone Zeke’s position. 

-

“I think she made it perfectly clear she wants your dirty ape hands off.”

The sudden intrusion of that deep voice made you turn around, your heart catching in your chest in relief. Levi was standing behind you, arms crossed as he glared at Zeke. Despite his shorter stature, his intimidating aura could have made any person shrink back in fear. 

_ Levi _

“Ah. Levi. It’s been a while. I’m surprised to see you here.” The bespectacled man still refused to let you go, though you had pulled a bit harder at the sight of your partner. Underneath his hand, your arm was starting to bruise. 

“The feeling is mutual. Why don’t you go bother someone else? That is my partner your grubby hands are holding.”

Zeke’s hold on your arm tightened momentarily, making you wince in pain, before finally letting go, making the blood rush back into it. He brushed his clothes and stood up tall, likely trying to establish dominance.

“I’m surprised you are even allowed a partner after what happened to Isabelle. Wasn’t that your fault? Your blunder was too easily forgiven if you ask me. If you were under my team, you would have been fired immediately.”

_ Isabelle? _

Levi cringed, eyes unwavering yet resembling pain as well as anger now. However, he stood his ground. 

“I would like to never hear her name coming out of your filthy mouth. Unless you want me to break your arm, of course. We both know I could get away with that much. You may dislike me but the force still needs me.”   


Zeke scoffed. “Detective Ackerman, always so cocky. Keep her, for now. I can always have her transferred to my team once you fail at the case.” 

You were about to answer back at that despite the vile building up at the back of your throat now, but he turned around, walking to the other end of the bar and losing himself among the crowd. Thankfully, no one else had noticed the commotion and you allowed yourself to relax, releasing the breath you had been holding. 

You turned to Levi, noticing he was clenching his fists so hard his knuckles were white, eyes closed. You hadn’t seen him like this since the time you interviewed Mr. Lagnar and it was clear the confrontation had put him on edge as well. 

“Levi?” You tried, softly at first, but he didn’t answer you. “Is everything okay?”

You knew it was a stupid question. He had just saved you from making a fool of yourself by trying to attack a higher up, probably risking his own job as he did. 

“Why can’t I leave you out of my sight for five seconds, brat?” He muttered, half attempting at a joke despite the obvious discomfort. His voice was tired, the small hint of sadness you had noticed earlier remaining on it. 

“Thank you, really. But seriously, are you okay?” You were more worried about him than yourself at the moment. 

He opened his eyes, stunningly grey and clouded over with emotion before grabbing your arm and leading you towards the outside. Unlike Zeke’s hold, Levi’s was comforting.

“Come on, I can’t be inside. I need some air.” Levi pulled you up the stairs, walking towards a door you didn’t know existed and opening into a small rooftop. There was a wide variety of plants decorating the space, a few chairs scattered around. It looked as though this was used as an extra dining area during the warmer months. 

Above you, the stars were sparkling, looking less somber than they had earlier today. The wind was strong, making your skirt blow in the breeze and you didn’t have to turn around to know he was already taking his coat off to place it on your shoulders, a habit he had developed over the past weeks. 

With a sigh, he walked towards the railing, looking out into the street lights and the river on your left. He stood perfectly still as the moonlight reflected off his face and you watched him, briefly mesmerized by the sight before deciding to approach him. 

As you did, you took in his now peaceful face. His softened gaze was looking up at the stars, his eyes rivaling the color of the moon in the starlight. Your breath caught as you admired him, taking in the sharp edges of his face, the way his hair fell softly on his cheekbones. He was wearing a gray shirt that matched his eyes, intensifying the color, even in the darkness. Levi was truly a beautiful man.

You had called men handsome before, of course. But no man had looked  _ beautiful _ to you before. He really was something else, you thought with a smile. No wonder Petra liked him. 

You were starting to see the softer, caring side of him too, and had to begrudgingly admit she had been right about that too.

“Isabelle and Farlan.”   


The words broke brought you back from your thoughts, so soft you thought you had imagined them at first. Levi didn’t turn to look at you to check if you were listening before continuing.

“Isabelle was my previous work partner, but she was also family. Like my younger sister. So was Farlan. He wasn’t a detective like us but we would still see him every day. We met… before. She died. They both did.”   


You pulled his coat a little closer, considering whether you should pat his shoulder like you’d seen him do before with others. Though he was still not looking at you, you could hear the pain in his voice and it made your chest tighten in sorrow as well. 

“It was my fault. We had just started working on this case. Isabelle insisted she had a lead, but I wouldn’t listen, I felt it was too soon to go after a random person we had no solid proof against. She kept pushing Erwin and begging to allow her to investigate but he didn’t want to either, he wanted to be more careful since we knew nothing about the killer yet and didn’t want to take unnecessary risks. Not that we know much now about them either.”

Levi took a deep breath, preparing himself for what his next words would be. He hadn’t shared this story with many, not his side of it at least. He had become used to the pitiful gazes others gave him for months after the incident and had decided to do what he always did, push it down and move on, refuse to lean on others to make it easier to accept the reality without feeling weak. 

“She had a tendency for not listening, wanting to do things her way. You remind me of her in that sense, you know. She took Farlan with her to look into it, thinking as long as she wasn’t alone it would be okay. We were supposed to meet up that night, but they never showed up. It had been raining all day so I figured they were just delayed, but time passed and… well. I went to look for them.”

You walked a little closer to him, deciding on placing your hand on his arm in the end. You half expected him to flinch away at the touch but he didn’t, allowing you to comfort him in this small way.

“Their car had rolled several times before crashing into a tree. We thought it was an accident at first, of course, but then we found their brakes had been tampered with...” Levi winced, clearly reliving the memory. “There was also… a note. Remember how I said I was forced into learning how to decrypt ciphers?”

You nodded, hand tightening around his arm as you did.

“The note was in the glove compartment, the bastard knew we would search the car eventually. It was directed to me. After that, I refused to take on any other partners. I told Erwin it was too dangerous, but stupid Eyebrows is too stubborn for his own good.”

Levi closed his eyes again, lifting his head up at the stars. It was almost as though he was asking for forgiveness for having shared his burden with you, unused to opening up. You chose not to question him on the contents of the note, for now, it wasn’t important. 

“Levi,” you start, as softly as you can, “that wasn’t your fault.” It couldn’t be. How could he have known? Your job was explicitly dangerous, everyone who joined knew the dangers. Besides, no one could have predicted the tragedy he had gone through. 

“Save me the pity, Freya, if I had accompanied her to whatever it was she wanted to investigate, they would still be here.” 

You grab his arm more forcefully, pulling him to look towards you and he obliges. His eyes are filled with pain, with regrets he has been carrying on his shoulders, keeping him up at night. Perhaps he is broken like you after all, holding himself together because he has no choice, because it is the only thing he knows how to do.

_ Oh, Levi. _

“No. If you had gone with her, you would be _ dead _ as well, Levi. He was expecting her, it was all probably a setup.” It had to be. Otherwise, how would the murdered have known enough to sabotage their car and leave a note behind?

Levi had to know this too, he was brilliant, you knew. But he was also blinded by guilt. His expressions gave it away, the way his shoulders slouched as he considered your words, unwilling to hang on to them, to accept the deliverance. He wasn’t ready and, in that, you were similar. 

“Perhaps. It doesn’t matter, either way, they’re still gone. And I am still here, still too far away from the truth to do them any justice.”   


You had nothing to say. You understood how he felt, so you stayed silent. 

From what you knew and observed, you were certain he needed to be listened to more than he needed reassurance so you stood by him, offering him your presence at least. After a few minutes had passed, he spoke again.

“You can ask, you know. You’re entitled to know after all. You are my partner now and it could involve you as well.”

“I wouldn’t want to pry.”   


He smirked, slowly coming back to his usual self, pushing down the feelings. However, this time it was slightly different, a little bit easier. There was less of it, he had shared a piece with you and you would now carry it for him, bearing the burden in his stead. 

“You always pry. It’s alright.”

You smiled, turning to look at him. You were curious, of course. Levi had few friends and you wanted to know the type of people he had considered family. 

“How did you all meet.”

Levi’s smirk deepened, turning into an almost smile. You were about to be surprised, he knew. 

“Have you heard the rumors about me?”

You thought back to that. There were many gossips surrounding the mysterious Detective Ackerman in front of you.

“You mean the one where you are a murderer yourself or the one about your extensive collection of brooms? I am inclined to believe the latter after knowing you for a month if I’m being honest.”

“Tch. Close enough. I used to be in a gang.” Levi sneaked a glance at you as he said that, waiting for your reaction, “ Erwin picked me up from the streets, gave me the choice to join his team or go to jail. Isabelle and Farlan used to work with me.”

_ A gang?! Levi? _

You turned to look at him, your eyes wide as you noticed his amusement.

“You were not.”

“Is it really that hard to believe?” He didn’t seem ashamed of his past, his words stated nonchalantly. If anything, there was something like pride coating his words. 

“A little,” you admitted. Levi didn’t seem the type you usually associated with gangs, burly tattooed man with piercings who hung out in dark alleyways. You tried to picture him, you really did, but it only elicited a giggle from your lips.

“What’s so funny, brat?” If anything, the crude language he used with others was the only indication of his past.

“Nothing at all, Mr. Gangster.”

Levi rolled his eyes. Of course you’d make fun of him.

“That didn’t answer my question though, how did you all meet?” You turned to look at him once more, a wide smile on your face. It didn’t seem to bother him this time. The air felt lighter around you, the only sound interrupting your words the small number of cars passing on the street below.

“Farlan was my associate for years. He was in charge of our finances, even though he was terrible at it. Always giving our spare money away to those who needed medication or basic appliances. Isabelle… she was living in the streets when we found her. I took her in and gave her a place to live. Annoying little brat that she was, always bringing stray animals home as though we were a fucking shelter.”

_ There it was. _

That you could see. Levi helping others without admitting to it, him helping a small girl in need. It made your heart swell with fondness. It didn’t sound like your usual gang. 

“I see. You know Levi, you may try to pretend otherwise, but you have a kind heart.”   


He gave you a bewildered look, asking you if you had lost your mind with his eyes.

“I think that encounter with Zeke had more of an impact than I thought, clearly you are out of your mind,” he mocked, but you only laughed.

“Ah yes, the wonderful Mr. Zeke. Jerk.”

Levi snorted. “That’s the best you can do? ‘Jerk’?” 

You shrugged, swearing did not come easy to you. It wasn’t your style. Levi could do that for you if he wanted. 

“Next time that asshole decides to touch you I’ll cut his fucking hands off.”   


It looked like the swears were back to stay, at least for now. Touched by his words, you reached out. You were holding his hand in yours before you could stop yourself, the action as automatic as breathing. 

The feeling was foreign, but not uncomfortable. If it bothered him, he didn’t show it, staring ahead as though nothing had happened. 

His long fingers completely enveloped yours, protecting them from the cold and making your heart flutter inside your chest. Guiltily, you thought back of the man inside you had agreed to give a chance to and tried to pull away, but Levi tightened his fingers around yours before you could, noticing your intentions and putting a stop to them.

You expected him to say something, but he didn’t. Wordlessly, he looked ahead with his fingers remaining entwined in yours. It was too comfortable a feeling to fight it, so you did the same. None of you turned to look at the other as you looked ahead, basking in the light from the night sky. 

In your mind, you couldn’t help but wonder if this was wrong. This man was your co-worker, your partner. Not only that, but he was practically a stranger. 

You knew barely anything about him, you didn’t even know he had been in a gang until a few minutes ago. But none of that seemed to matter. 

The usual feeling that gripped at your heart whenever another man approached you was absent with him, no desire to run away begging your legs to move. On the contrary, at this moment, all you wanted to do was rest your head on his shoulder, lean into his solace and share your own burdens with him as he had done with you. 

Likewise, Levi was wondering why he hadn’t allowed you to pull away, or why he had allowed you to approach him in the first place. He was intoxicated by your smiles, the sound of your laughter as it echoed around him. His heart was beating fast, his hand woven tightly around yours. 

Looking at you from the corner of his eyes, he wondered how you had grown on him so quickly, and if that fondness would grow to consume him, turning into something he hadn’t allowed himself before. Would the aching need to hold your hand in his he had suddenly experienced turn into a different type of want? 

He pushed those thoughts away, not wanting to allow them a place in his mind yet. 

This meant nothing. Only a couple of friends comforting each other and nothing more. He would allow himself to think of you that way, a friend. He wasn’t about to admit to anything else.

None of you knew how long you stood there. It could have been minutes, it could have been days. Neither made a move to let go, perfectly comfortable in each other’s presence. 

You wished the moment could last even longer but were interrupted by a sound that chilled you to the bone, making you both turn around, the warmth that had filled you a second before replaced by fear as your hands finally separated. 

The scream that pierced through the night was one of pain, of desperation. 

Levi ran ahead of you, immediately springing into action instinctively and holding the door open as you trailed behind him as fast as you could. 

Your legs felt as though they couldn’t move fast enough. Your heart that had been beating in happiness only a second before was now palpitating with dread, seemingly trying to escape from your chest, urging you to go faster. 

As you finally reached the bottom of the stairs, you froze, your blood running cold. 

Moblit was bent over, trying to wake up the woman in front of him, shaking her and screaming at her to arise. She was passed out, blood steadily oozing from a wound into the floor beneath her. The world spiraled around you as you sunk to your knees, too stunned to move. 

_ Hange. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Early update! I was going to post this until tomorrow but I am too impatient, lol. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed that chapter even if it did end in a bit of a cliffhanger, let me know what you all think, there is nothing that makes me happier than seeing you all comment! <3 I am loving writing this story for you all!


	7. Nocturne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A long night filled with confusion of many different kinds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Somebody shine a light  
> I'm frozen by the fear in me  
> Somebody make me feel alive  
> And shatter me  
> Shatter me - Lindsey Stirling
> 
> \-------------  
> Small puzzle included in this chapter!

The illusion of peace and safety you had been previously enveloped in shatters all around you. Levi moves by instinct, running towards Hange’s side and feeling her vitals, shaking her body as he calls her name. Besides him, Sasha is kneeling, smelling her breath, and trying to place what made her pass out.

You shake your head, trying to dispel the daze that is rooting you to the spot, and make your way towards her, sinking into the ground beside her and turning to Moblit. 

“What happened?”

Moblit’s hands were shaky, eyes wide in desperation as he turns to you. You have never seen him so scared, Hange is one of his best friends and it must be painful seeing her in this state.

“I have no idea, I was looking for her everywhere and couldn’t find her. She had left to go to the bathroom saying she felt a little dizzy so I went there to look for her after she took too long and heard a loud thud. She was like this when I found her, no one seems to have seen anything strange before that happened.”

You notice her wound is still bleeding, a deep stab wound on her upper arm that is profusely losing blood, creating the bright red pool on the floor. You take out the thick ribbon you carry with you in your pocket without hesitation and tie it around the gash, silently apologizing to Ezra for ruining his gift, knowing the blood will stain the fabric permanently. 

A makeshift tourniquet will have to do for now. Your friend’s well being is more important to you than a keepsake and you delicately wrap it around her with a concerned look on your face. 

Around you, everybody springs into action at once. 

Erwin is walking towards the entrance, asking the owner to close the doors to prevent anybody from leaving despite his protests while Historia starts directing people to the same corner of the bar to start investigating what went on tonight. 

You all know it’s likely that the aggressor is long gone, but that will not prevent you all from trying to find whoever is guilty regardless. To cover that possibility, Ymir together with their interns Reiner and Berthold have been dispatched to search the surrounding areas as well.

Since Sasha is your toxicology expert, she is currently taking charge of Hange, listing off her symptoms to herself as she attempts to approach the situation in a factual matter. Levi remains at her side, a worried frown on his face as he brushes his hand through Hange’s hair. 

“Slow heart rate, clammy skin, and irregular pulse. It looks like a common drug was used, probably Ketamine or GHB from the lack of scent. She should be waking up soon, thankfully but she will be out of it for a while. We need to give her space. I should be able to monitor her once she regains consciousness.” After her quick diagnosis, Sasha turned to the man beside her, giving out a clear, concise order.

“Connie, go and ask the bar for a list of everything she drank tonight. It may be useful if we can find out when she was spiked.” He gives a brief nod in understanding before rushing towards the bar, ready to do his part with silent determination. 

Your relief at being surrounded by professionals in this situation is enormous, who knows what could have happened otherwise. The alternative would have been waiting for an ambulance, possibly giving her situation time to deteriorate had it been more serious. 

Besides you, Mike is comforting Moblit, reassuring him that none of this was his fault while Levi carries Hange, sitting her up on a booth to get her off the filthy ground. 

You notice his eyes linger on the ribbon you tied to her arm for a brief second before giving you a quick questioning glance, clearly recognizing it from its everyday place in your hair. 

Erwin’s booming and authoritative voice echoes off the walls before anybody has the chance to say anything else as he addresses the rest of the patrons in the bar.

“No one is leaving this place, kindly settle down. Our detective here, Historia will talk to you all individually. We thank you in advance for your cooperation.”

There is only a handful of people to question, three women and two men, but they listen to Erwin’s orders without putting up a fight, most people would after being exposed to his intimidating frame. 

Once you notice Historia approaching them, you turn your attention back to Hange and Levi. He is still leaning over her, brushing the hair off her forehead as he whispers at her, clearly worried for his friend. You wish you could be of more help but understand it is better to leave everybody to their job without trying to intervene.

Doing the one thing you can, you approach Levi instead, listening as he murmurs to her to  _ Wake up, Four Eyes or else. _

“Levi, she’ll be okay. Sasha said she will be waking up soon.” You move to hold his arm like before but stop yourself at the last second, doubting whether your actions could be misinterpreted. It could be seen the wrong way by others and you don’t want to vex him any further by starting silly office rumors, he has enough on his plate as it is.

“Tch. Stupid shitty glasses, she is barely coherent when she’s normal. Or as normal as she ever gets, at least. It’ll be too hard to tell if there was any damage when she does wake up and starts rambling like usual.”

You smile at his attempt at a joke, he clearly cares for her very much. He doesn’t seem bothered by standing so close to her and he had carried her without a second thought. 

Despite the situation, it makes you happy to know he has other people in his life to care for. Hange and Erwin seem to be the ones he is closest to in the office based on his carefree attitude around them.

You hear the sound of rapid footsteps and turn to see Connie heading back your way, addressing Sasha immediately as he does.

“She had a lot of alcohol,” he starts with a wince, “the bartender estimates 10 glasses at least, possibly more. Someone could have spiked any of them but he says the latest one she took was around 20 minutes ago.”

Connie leans against the booth table, crossing one leg over the other and leaning back as he talks. 

“I also talked to Historia on my way here, she says all the people present were together for a birthday party so it’s unlikely any of them are the culprit. Whoever did this is probably long gone. But… why?”

All of you have that same question lingering in the front of your mind. Why would somebody attack Hange? Despite her loud and sometimes intimidating attitude, she is one of the sweetest people you have met.Why would they spike her drink only to hurt her arm and then run away? 

Levi is the first to piece it all together, brow furrowing in anger.

“It is a warning. For all of us.”

Sasha turns to you with unconcealed fear in her eyes, seemingly remembering his and your involvement in the dangerous case. “From the killer?”

Levi exhales loudly, finally letting go of Hange and standing up before answering.

“Yes. I don’t know why they waited this long to try something like this, if I’m being honest. Maybe they are getting restless again. Maybe it’s a sign that they are about to strike again and want us to know. We won’t know for sure until four eyes wakes up. Speaking of, are you sure she doesn’t need medical attention, Braus?”

Sasha hesitates before answering. She is confident in her abilities and the conclusion she reached, but she would rather err in the name of caution when it comes to her friends. Besides, Levi is glaring at her now, his eyes demanding that she be absolutely certain of her choice. 

“Connie and I can take her to the hospital, just to be safe. We can take the remaining interns too, to keep an eye on them.”

She peeks over her shoulder at where Historia is, noticing she has finished questioning the small group and is now leading them outside the door.

“It looks like they are allowing everybody to leave now so you should all head home, for now. We can keep you all updated on her state and they probably won’t allow too many people to remain with her either way.”

Though you wish you could accompany them and see Hange’s condition stabilize, you know she is right. The more people orbiting around her, the bigger the burden for the doctors. 

Erwin comes up to you all then, his somber face confirming the fact that he heard your previous conversation from the start. He looks down at all of you, slowly drawing out his words as he addresses the group.

“I agree with Levi, this is most concerning. This will now be the second time they target our force directly.” 

He stares at you as he says this, clearly worried about your wellbeing as well as he connects the dots. Levi’s partner was the last person to be targeted before Hange and their case was much more severe. If this is a warning, what could they be capable of doing next?

“Freya, do you have any reason to believe you are being followed? Anything that has seemed out of place, at all? Nobody outside of our team knows you have joined in on the persecution as we refrained from a public announcement, but we can never be too careful.”

Levi snaps to him as he says that, eyes narrowing as he thinks his words over. You can see the thoughts racing behind his eyes as he considers the possibilities and likely arrives at the same conclusion as Erwin, you could be next. 

You try to think back, but nothing has seemed out of the ordinary lately. Nothing has disturbed your new routine in any way. Besides, you are too worried about Hange to even consider being scared for your own safety right now, regardless of understanding the danger. 

“Not at all. It’s not me we should be worried about though, is it? What abou-”

“-Erwin’s right, brat. We should be keeping an eye out. Especially because of the… antecedents.” Levi winced as he said that, probably still feeling guilty about the whole thing despite your earlier conversation. This attack had brought it all crashing down on him again. 

Erwin holds his chin thoughtfully, humming as he ponders the options. Unbeknown to you, he is already thinking of ways to ensure your protection in the future should things get worse. There will be no more assaults at his team on his watch. For now, though, he decides to trust you. 

“Freya, are you absolutely certain you haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary? You are one of the main detectives on the case so your safety may be compromised as well,” he restates, making sure you understand.    


You shake your head, nothing had been different at all, not yet at least. Asides from the events of tonight, you had actually been settling in quite nicely. Erwin slowly nods at you, convinced enough, for now, to let you off the hook.

The sounds of Hange stirring behind you makes everybody turn around. 

She groans, rubbing her head as she tries to sit up, moving too quickly and falling right back down. Levi immediately runs up to her, preventing her from standing up while Sasha holds her down to make sure she doesn’t hurt herself with any further sudden movements. You make your way up to her as well, relieved to see her open her eyes and letting out a relieved sigh.

“Hange!"

She slowly blinks, the light hurting her eyes behind her wide glasses. She holds up a hand to protect them from the brightness before turning her gaze towards all of you, confusion contorting her features.

“Why is everybody looking at me? And why do I feel like my head is splitting open? And what the hell happened to my arm?” She pokes at the ribbon you tied there, looking at all the people surrounding her one by one. Erwin slowly approaches, crouching down to face her. Though you see a flicker of concern flash his eyes, he quickly composes himself

“Hange, can you remember anything that happened?”

She groans again, the previously numb pain catching up to her as the seconds pass. It fills you with worry, forcing you to remind yourself of Sasha’s assurances that she is okay. 

“Barely. I remember coming out of the bathroom and then somebody held their hand over my mouth. I think they held something against my nose as well? I can’t remember very well, I was already feeling pretty dizzy. They definitely said something but it’s all a little bit blurry.”

Hange closes her eyes, concentrating on the fledgling memories she still has of the event.

“Oh! They sneaked something into my pocket though! I remember that much. Pervert, can you believe that? ”

Hange drags a folded piece of paper out of her coat pocket, handing it to Erwin. His eyes dart across the words before narrowing in confusion after a few seconds. With a frustrated sigh, he hands it to Levi in resignation.

“Take a look, Levi. Freya, you should come closer as well. Thank you, Hange, you should rest now. Sasha and Connie will get you checked up.”

Hange sinks back in the booth, clearly exhausted from the whole ordeal. You walk up to Levi whose face is now scowling at the small scrap in his hand. 

“What the hell is this?”

Taking a peek, you notice the code on the paper, making it impossible to read the message at first glance. 

_ Of course. _

The note has a few lines only, but that is enough for you all to know who it’s coming from. Levi was right, this was a warning. 

He hands off the paper to you, crossing his arms and voicing his thoughts.

“We should solve this as soon as we can, it could be important.”

Erwin turns to look at you, “Freya, do you know what it says? How fast can you solve it?”

You rack your brain for answers. You are almost sure you know what this is, or at least what part of it means, but you want to be sure before stating your suspicions. It is important that you are right. 

There are only a few lines on it:

“EEFG GFED CCDE EDD

EEEC DDDB

GEFG EFGA BCDE FECD ECDE 

The street of death looks on. The season of a hero’s creation takes place in the home of song.”

“I think… it may not take too long at all. There’s something I need to solve it though. I need to head to my apartment to check something. If I work through the weekend I may be able to have it done by Monday.”

You turn around, intent on leaving as fast as you can to confirm your thoughts about the cipher when you notice Levi is walking beside you, his steps matching yours.

“I’m coming too. Until we know what is on that note, it is better to be safe.”

Though you are perfectly capable of defending yourself should the situation arise, you accept his offer to make him feel more at ease. It will probably be best for him to be there when you solve it as well so you can figure out what to do next together. His own cipher solving abilities are surely to come in handy was well. 

You lead him to your car, thankful for having driven here yourself instead of taking the ride offer Eld gave you. It would have been uncomfortable asking Levi to drive you home to say the least. Besides, you wanted him to stress out the least amount possible after having been shaken up with Hange’s attack. You were still pretty unsettled yourself despite her assured safety.

Though has his usual stoic mask on now, you can see the small ways he shows how unsettled he is. His foot is tapping, his hand fidgety. His perfectly neat hair is still a bit messed up from his constant running of his hands through it. This will be a good distraction for him as well. 

You drive on in silence, city lights blurring outside your window, illuminating his falsely calm face. As you do, you wonder about all the things that were to come, and the person you would be sharing them with. In that, at least, you could find solace. Though the world remained an unsafe and cruel place, at least you wouldn’t be facing it alone anymore.

-

Your apartment was in a much nicer area than his. 

He had followed you in silence up the stairs, taking in his surroundings with curiosity as he took in the sights you faced every day with curiosity. You had opened the door with ease, no head turning to see if anybody was following like he would when he arrived at his own place every night, you felt safe in here.

He relished in that thought, knowing not everybody was as on edge as he was, finding it hard to feel at ease even at home. Briefly, worried he would find your apartment occupied by someone else, the man whose name he had overhead, but all he found was a disorganized chaos past the doorway. He tried to suppress the ironic relief he felt at the sight. 

The place, by his standards, was an absolute mess. 

A few dishes laid in the sink, multiple cups littering the counter. Clothes were haphazardly thrown around both the floor and hanging from the couch and your shoes were scattered around the apartment. He tried holding in a grimace as he trailed behind you, trying not to trip with the multiple obstacles around. 

“Fuck’s sake, Reader, did a bomb go off in here?” 

His comment doesn’t bother you, so you just smile at him and shrug. You know the place is not the cleanest, but you barely spend any time here as it is and you have other things to worry about at the moment. You have a vague idea where the item you need is, having last seen it a few months back when going through your closet. 

“Sorry, Levi. I know this must be painful for the clean freak in you. I’ll admit I’ve let the housekeeping slip a bit lately. Now. Where is it…”

You walk towards the bedroom, making Levi hesitate before following you inside, he wouldn’t want to invade your privacy, slightly afraid of what he will find there, but he is surprised when he sees the bedroom is the one clean room in the place. It looks as untouched as his own does, bed neatly made, nothing out of place. 

He watches from the doorway as you open the closet, pulling out a dusty case that’s almost half your size, allowing his gaze to wander around the room to take in the layout. The large bed is situated in the middle of the room, right between a door that presumably leads out to a balcony and the closet door you rummage through now. 

“Here it is!”

Levi stares, mesmerized, as you pull out a guitar from the case. You stare at it lovingly, sitting down on the bed and placing it on top of your legs before motioning for him to join you. He slowly obliges, still feeling slightly out of place, before sitting down next to you, this was not what he was expecting. 

“I didn’t know you played.”

You shake your head, smiling down at the guitar as you delicately tune the strings, a peaceful look on your face. From the quiet that now permeates the room, he can tell it’s a precious item for you. 

“I don’t. It belonged to… someone close to me. I just know the basics.”

_ Tch. Of course he plays guitar.  _

“Is that why you’re always singing?”

Your eyes snap to his face, slight bewilderment and surprise emanating from them.

“I do that out loud?!”

Levi smirks. Of course you hadn’t noticed.

“Only all the time.”

Your cheeks redden at that, you truly hadn’t realized and it makes you fill with dread knowing that he’s heard you without saying anything all this time.

“Sorry… I probably do it without noticing.”

Levi frowned, that is not what he meant when he asked, so he tries to let you know without giving away too much.

“I don’t mind… at all. It’s actually kind of nice. You know, as a break from your constant blabbering.”

The tinge in your cheeks deepens, smile broadening at him admitting he enjoys listening to you. You understand his meaning without a need for further explanation. 

“My mother. She’s the one that taught me. She was a wonderful musician. I could never play like she did, but I know some basics. That’s why I hum all the time, it helps me remember her.” Finally done tuning the guitar, you picked it up and turned to him.

“Anyway… Do you have the note?”

Levi took the crumpled piece of paper out of his pocket, handing it to you.

“Care to explain what the guitar is for?”

You open up the sheet of paper, wordlessly asking Levi to hold it up for you as you explain.

The note’s first three lines are what you are interested in, a scramble of letters that are seemingly random at first:

EEFG GFED CCDE EDD

EEEC DDDB

GEFG EFGA BCDE FECD ECDE 

You point at the letters, as you talk, strumming the strings at random to double check the instrument was properly tuned and undamaged from its time in storage. 

“Do you notice how limited the type of letters used are? There are actually only 7 letters, but they are repeated throughout the note. If they stood in for words, we would need more than that, wouldn’t we?”

Levi narrows his eyes, still unaware at what you are getting to but nods. He can see that much himself. 

“This is not a cipher… Well, not exactly at least. This is the musical alphabet. Notice how the letters are clustered in groups of four, they are actually musical notes and the clusters indicate the tempo. I have a feeling I know what it sounds like too, they look familiar enough, but I wanted to be sure, hence the guitar.” 

His eyes widen, finally understanding why you had to come home to solve this. He holds the paper up to you as you finish your explanation, sliding closer to you as he does. He tells himself this is only meant for facilitating your reading of the notes but, in truth, he is mildly excited to hear you play. 

“Each letter stands for a different note. You actually don’t start with A like you’d think you would, you start with C and go from there to make it C,D,E,F,G and then go back to the start to A,B,C. In that way, C stands for Do, D for Re, E for Mi and so on. Now, if I recall, this is how the first line should sound.” 

Your fingers strum the guitar as Levi listens. You start with the first line only as you said you would, a short and simple yet familiar tune filling the air.

“Is that classical music?”

You nod.

“It is, that is Ode to Joy. Now see this second line?” You play the following notes. “That is Beethoven’s Fifth. I’m curious as to how the third line matches though. Both of these pieces are by the same composer. This third one, however,” you clumsily strum the last line, it had been years since you picked up any instrument yourself.

“This is Pachabel’s Canon. Three different pieces of classical music, all wildly popular, two different composers. Now we just need to figure out how they fit in together.”

You place the guitar down, having confirmed the theory of what the letters stand for. You had no clue what the rest of the note meant, but you had all night to figure it out. 

Levi is still looking at you, a question he’s been meaning to ask standing on the edge of his lips. 

“What is the song you always hum? The one that sounds like a lullaby? Can you play that?”

“A lullaby?”

Though the music coming from your mouth tends to vary depending on your mood, there is one he always looks forward to hearing, the one that reminds him of home, of family. A song he is certain he has heard before. 

He crosses his arms in feigned indifference, hoping you will answer, maybe even sing it to him now.

“Oh. I think… I know which one you mean.” Your eyes are lit with understanding now, recognizing what he is referring to. The lullaby your mom would sing you to sleep with, one of your favorites. You wish you were talented enough to play it to him but you aren’t, and you are too shy to sing it, consciously at least. “However, I doubt I could do it justice… How about I tell you about that one later?”

Levi suppresses the disappointment as best as he can, avoiding your eyes before agreeing to your terms. He watches in silence as you stand up and stretch before heading to the kitchen, dress slightly riding up your leg as you do, and leaving him to wonder if he should follow.

“Are you hungry? I didn’t really get to eat at the party and I didn’t think to pick anything up on the way here. I would offer some wine as well but we are meant to be concentrating so that’s out of the question. Besides, you don’t seem like the type to drink the cheap boxed variety,” you mock.

Levi rolls his eyes at you. He hadn’t thought to eat either and, now that the adrenaline rush from Hange’s attack was fading, he was realizing how hungry he was. However, he knew you were better at solving these puzzles than he was, so he offered an alternative instead.

“I will cook. You keep working on that puzzle, you are quicker at them than me either way.”

The look of surprise you give him in response indicates you hadn’t expected his offer. Not only were you unaware of his proficiency in the kitchen, but also you hadn’t even mentioned what you had available. Worst case scenario though, he would serve you a burnt grilled cheese, so you agreed.

“Cabinet on the upper left has non-perishables, the fridge has the rest, help yourself then.”

He walked towards the kitchen, trying not to focus too much on the mess for now as he scavenges through your pantry. Pulling out the necessary stuff for a simple pasta and accompanying sauce, he rolls up his sleeves before getting to work.

“Mind if I bounce thoughts off of you while I work through this? It may help,” you asked, looking at his back in amusement as he set up a workspace. You half expected him to pull on a chef’s hat from the look of concentration on his face. 

“Go ahead.”

Levi pulled out your kettle, boiling water for both the food and some tea while he picked up the dishes and piled them on a neat stack near the sink, he would take care of those later. 

“The note says ‘The street of death looks on. The season of a hero’s creation takes place in the home of song.’ And we have three musical pieces. Off the top of my head, I know both Pachabel and Beethoven were German. Does anything else ring a bell to you?”

Levi pauses, thinking it over. He didn’t know much about classical music, it wasn’t exactly what people listened to where he came from, his mother being the exception. He could take a guess but that didn’t sound too useful in this situation. 

“The street of death. You said they were both German, did they die in the same place by any chance?” he offered.

“Hmm. Not that I can recall, I am pretty sure one of them died in Vienna though I don’t remember which one. I can research it though. Looks like this little riddle will be a bit tougher to solve. Also, I wonder what the music itself has to do with it. Nothing seems to relate to it except the home of song.”

Levi turned on your stove, preparing a sauce as he went. It had been a while since he cooked for anybody but himself, but hopefully, you wouldn’t mind it too much. Isabelle and Farlan had never complained at least. He slowly starts chopping some tomatoes, thinking back to his friends as he does. He had never felt inclined to share a meal with others before either. Not after their deaths. 

Behind him, he could hear the sound of you scribbling down notes. Having finished settings everything up, he poured two cups of hot water before suddenly remembering this wasn’t his home. He had no idea if you even had what he wanted. 

“You… wouldn’t happen to have tea, would you?” He hoped you did, warm water wasn’t very appetizing. 

You hummed, holding your face thoughtfully in your hand. The way your nose wrinkled as you sorted through your thoughts was oddly… cute? He shook his head, forcing himself to concentrate once more. 

“I actually might. How long does tea last though? It may have been stored for a while.”

You stood up and opened up a small cupboard on top of the sink, pulling out a small tin before opening it and inhaling the scent.

“Would this work?”

Levi picked it up from your hands. It was a blend of green tea, dried flower petals mixed into it. He preferred his tea black, but this would do. However, he was curious. “Tea can keep for up to two years when airtight like this. I thought you didn’t drink tea though?” 

“I don’t,” you shrugged. “As I said, it’s been stored for a while. Not long enough to be spoiled though, as you say.”

You held back from explaining where it could have come from, making him guess at its origin.

_ So you don’t, but whoever this Ezra person is may have then. Which makes me wonder where he went if it’s been stored for a while. Why do you keep his things? _

He dismissed his thoughts as soon as they appeared, focusing back on making himself a cup. He had found your stash of coffee on the counter so he prepared you a brew as well, placing it in front of you, careful not to spill on top of your notes.

“Thank you!” You beamed at him as you picked up the cup, standing up for some milk and sugar while you peeked at the stove. “What are you making? It smells nice.”

Levi put a lid on the pan, preventing you from looking at the food. “Nothing special, so mind your own business. Dinner will be ready soon.” He noticed you didn’t flinch at his words like others would have but instead smiled a bit wider as you sat back down. 

“Keep acting so grumpy and I won’t tell you about the song.” 

“Keep acting like a brat and you won’t get any food,” he retorted back. Regardless, he served you a plate, placing it in front of you, not a minute after he said that. He didn’t truly mean that. “It’s nothing too fancy, but it’s food.”

Your eyes softened as you looked up at him, you could tell he was feeling slightly embarrassed for some reason as he sat down and looked at you expectantly, waiting for you to try it. Picking up your fork, you took a large amount of pasta and let out a small happy sigh as you bit into it.

“This is actually delicious.”

“Tch. It’s alright,” he said, starting on his own food now that he had made sure you weren’t spitting it out at him.

“I mean it, Levi. Thank you.”

“Whatever, brat,” but he was pleased, a small tug at the edge of his lips hinting at it. 

The moonlight was shining through the kitchen window, illuminating the edge of your profile as you ate in silence. As he looked at you, Levi thought that, if only this wasn’t a race against time to catch a murderer, it would have been almost nice. All that was missing from making this a movie still was a couple of candles, perhaps some music. 

His eyes wandered towards you occasionally as he ate, noticing the happy sigh you gave every once in a while as you ate. You were distracted, looking out the window as you did, but he didn’t mind. The silence between you both wasn’t awkward in nature, it was comfortable. Once you were finished, he wordlessly stood up to pick up the plates, glad you had enjoyed the meal.

Hours passed as the two of you talked over the clues, trying to find a breakthrough, moving from the kitchen to the couch in the living room eventually. Two more cups of coffee for you, three more of tea for him. 

Whereas Levi sat with his back straight, you were leaning back into the opposite end of the couch, nearly laying down as you talked. You were still wearing the dress, something he wasn’t entirely opposed to though he hoped you were comfortable in it. This was your home and he didn’t want you to feel like you had to keep on appearances for him.

He wondered what you usually wore to lounge around the apartment. Isabelle had been partial towards stealing Farlan’s shirts and wearing small shorts underneath. He briefly entertained the thought of you in a similar get-up, how would one of his own shirts look on you? 

Realizing where his thoughts were going, he looked up at the ceiling in frustration. He must really be getting tired to allow his mind to wander like that. Nevertheless, he closed his eyes, allowing the image to linger for one more second before opening them up again to reality. 

Several sighs and groans of frustration elapsed as the clock ticked on before you realized something else, suddenly sitting up and startling him.

“Wait! I think I found something.” You were bent over a book you had found about the life of European composers amongst your mother’s things. 

“One of the songs, Beethoven’s fifth is also sometimes related to an Eroica symphony because of its first movement that celebrates the heroes of the military. The season of a hero’s creation, that has to be it, right? He started writing this piece in Autumn of 1822.”

“So the season of a hero’s creation is the fall?” Levi said, following your train of thought. Your tired eyes were looking at him with desperation, urging him to confirm your conclusion in the sake of progress.

“It has to be, nothing else makes sense. I still don’t know what the home of song or the street of death means though.”

You sank into the couch, closing your eyes and huffing in annoyance. Levi picked up your cup, meaning to fill it up for you once more while you thought over the recent discovery. Progress was definitely slow, but he believed in your abilities. You were more than halfway done with the riddle and it hadn’t even been a day yet. 

He prepared the cup as he’d seen you do earlier, adding a splash of milk and a teaspoon of sugar, carefully stirring it for you, and making sure it wasn’t too warm. Levi turned around and walked back to the couch, about to place the cup down in front of you when he noticed your closed eyes. 

Your breathing had slowed down and you were now fully laying down on the couch, having fallen asleep in the brief time it had taken him to return. 

“Oi, brat?” he whispered, crouching down to take a closer look. “Freya?”

You didn’t budge. The piece of paper was still clutched in your hand, a pen on the other. Your face had a small frown of frustration despite your peaceful aura. The clock on the side table read 4 in the morning, making him feel guilty for not noticing it before and asking you to rest. 

He put down the cup on the table beside you, gently prying the paper and pen from your hand and laying them beside it. Softly, he brushed the hair out of your eyes and sighed. You had likely been pushing yourself too far. He was used to staying awake this late, but it was clear you weren’t.

He thought over his options, not entirely sure what he should do. Should he go back home? He hadn’t driven here but could probably still find a cab. No, he didn’t want you to wake up to find him gone after having promised he would help. 

Silently, Levi leaned over and picked you up as carefully as he could, cradling you against his chest. It would be better if you rested in bed. He looked down at your sleeping face, noticing how the frown slowly disappeared, replaced with a gentle smile. 

You cozied up against him as he carried you into your room, making a pleasant warm feeling run through him. A happy sigh escaped from your lips as you subconsciously nuzzled up against his neck, sending a shudder through him and making him realize the intimacy of his gesture for the first time. 

It made the earlier feelings he had pushed away resurface with full force, escalating in intensity as well. How would it feel to hold you like this in other ways? Would your happy sighs at his closeness be possible were you awake? 

He pondered upon his thoughts, fully aware of how ridiculous he felt for thinking that way, as he laid you down on the mattress. He shouldn’t want you that way, it wasn’t right. 

Levi knelt down next to you, gently taking off the shoes you were still wearing. You hadn’t changed since you arrived, too engrossed in the task at hand to get comfortable. The dress you were wearing suited you, he noticed. It fell softly off your shoulders, skirt flowing from your waist. 

He held back from reaching out, not daring to touch you more than was necessary to tuck you in before standing up again, his feelings all over the place. This wasn’t right. It  _ couldn’t  _ be right. 

Levi was about to leave the room, not wanting the sight of you to confuse him any further when he noticed the door to your closet was still open. He hadn’t meant to pry, but his eyes wandered without his consent. 

In it, he could see a handful of men’s shirts.

_ Of course. Remember, she already has someone. Or at least did. Petra did mention she was healing. _

A jolt of annoyance ran through his spine. Making him want to take out the stupid clothes, throw them off the balcony, and curse whoever had hurt you when his eyes fell on the picture on the bedside table. It hadn’t been visible before, your body had covered it when you were playing guitar.

He spared a brief glance at you, making sure you were sleeping before walking over and picking it up to take a closer look. 

You were smiling in the photograph, happier than he’d ever seen you despite your multiple smiles. A tall man was hugging you from behind, messy brown hair and bright green eyes. His face was nuzzled into your neck, just like yours had been in his only a few moments prior. 

_ Is this who Ezra is?  _

The two of you looked good together, he had to admit. 

His fingers tightened on the frame, noticing how your eyes shone with laughter, your hair trailing in the wind as the man pushed his cheek against yours. He was about to put it down again when a piece of paper fell off from the back, landing on the ground.

Levi picked it up, unfolding it before he flinched, reading its contents. 

_ “In Remembrance of Ezra” _

It was a funeral invite, dating almost a year back. 

Suddenly, all the pieces fell together, making a heavyweight settle on his stomach with guilt. It all made sense now and he really wished it didn’t. 

Here he was, cursing a random man who was not only gone, but  _ dead.  _ You weren’t mourning because you had been cheated on or broken up with, you were mourning because your partner had passed away.

He let the air escape from his lungs, a hand running through his hair as he glanced at you once more, peacefully snuggled underneath your covers. You were holding on to the past, just like he was. Keeping the clothes of those you loved and lost, just like him. Despite your vast differences, you were also the same. 

Levi kneeled beside your bed again, understanding sinking into him slowly. Were all your smiles meant to hide your pain? Was your silent determination your own way of keeping others safe in the same way that his impassive attitude was? 

With a featherlike touch, he ran his long fingers through your hair, taking in the sight of your face. At that moment, he allowed his feelings to resurface once more if only for a second, giving his body permission to feel what he had been trying to hold down. 

The realization had turned into a longing, an ache to pull you in for a hug, to comfort you as you had done for him. He wished you were back on the rooftop, hands intertwined under a blanket of stars. 

Even as he wished for it, he stubbornly clung to the idea that the feeling was rooted in friendship like a lifeline. He wouldn’t allow it to overtake him, to make him accept anything else despite his head screaming otherwise. The unwanted flood of emotions would cease eventually, he promised himself. 

Even in his mind, the vow sounded empty. 

-

You woke up in the unfamiliar comfort of your bed, still wearing the dress from the previous night as the sunlight breaks through your window. You clench your eyes shut, wishing you could get some more sleep before the smell of food reaches your nose, making you realize you are not alone.

You sit up in bed, quiet understanding at the fact that Levi not only carried you here but also tucked you in making your heart flutter in your chest. You hadn’t expected that from him at all, but there was no other explanation for the place you were in right now. Not only that, but the sounds and scents coming from the kitchen meant he was making breakfast as well, cooking for you once more.

Too sleepy to make sense of it all yet, you get up, walking towards your closet to pull out a comfortable pair of pants and a shirt. No need to dress up if you were going to be staying in either way. You still had work to do.

Putting up your hair in a loose bun at the nape of your neck, you walk outside of the room, staring at Levi’s back as he worked in front of your stove, still unaware of your presence. You bashfully observe him, thinking over how to approach him as you lean near the doorway.

His usually neat appearance was turned down a notch, probably from having slept on the couch if the folded blanket with a pillow on top were any indication. Something about the room looked different too, but you couldn’t quite place what it was.

You watched him silently, entranced by the way his now untucked shirt stretched over his back muscles as he moved before questioning what you were doing staring at him. His sleeves were rolled up like before, giving you a view of his strong arms as he moved the pans around. 

“You know, I have some clothes you could borrow if you want, that doesn’t look to be the most comfortable.”

_ Though it does look nice.  _

Levi turned around, taking in your own outfit and shaking his head.

“I would rather not. This is perfectly fine. Besides, I was thinking of going home to change either way. I considered pushing this riddle thing off until Monday at the office but I don’t think it should wait.” 

You could both agree on that, it was better to get this solved as soon as possible. Lives were on the line after all. Walking up to the table, you noticed Levi had added some notes of his own, his neat penmanship starting at you from various pieces of paper. Seemingly, he had figured out a part of the riddle while you were asleep.

“You made some progress!”

He handed you a cup of coffee and you smiled in thanks, sitting down to read his notes.

“Don’t sound so surprised.”

Your book was open to a page on the lives and deaths of composers, a note on the top with the words “March” written on it. You picked it up, looking at him questioningly so he could explain.

“They both died in March. ‘The street of death looks on.’ I figured it may be important. I am picking up a map on my way back here so we can check for street names.”

He set down a plate with some eggs and toast in front of you, making your stomach growl in anticipation. You could get used to this. Maybe you should work together on the case more often.

“Hmm. That’s smart,” you said as you bit into your toast. The food, like before, was delicious. 

You were so focused on the questions swimming around in your mind that you didn’t notice how hot the eggs still were as you lead some towards your, burning the corner of your mouth and making you hiss in surprise.

Levi looked up at the sound, an exasperated sigh immediately coming out from his lips as he leaned over, holding your face in between his hand to inspect you.

“Dammit Freya, can’t you take care of yourself for five fucking minutes.” His tone was more worried than annoyed, his face close to yours as he inspected you for signs of the burn. 

You were about to ask him to kindly release you when you realized what he had said and your eyes went wide with excitement.

“You called me Freya!”

Levi’s gaze remained unflinching, still looking at you. “So?”

“So you never call me by my first name. It’s always Reader this, Brat that-” your words died in your throat as you stared at him, still holding onto your face. 

His thumb had started absentmindedly brushing against your lip now, eyes narrowed as he looked at where you had burnt yourself. Somehow, the touch of his fingertip set your skin ablaze with far more intensity than the small wound had. 

It brought memories of the previous night up to the surface, making your cheeks redden once more and making your heart beat fast in confusion. His hair was still disheveled from laying down, messily framing his face. The way he was leaning forward gave you a small peek at the top of his chest, making you force yourself to drag your gaze back up only to settle on his parted lips.

Unconsciously, you bit down on your own bottom one, making him more annoyed.

“Don’t do that, you’ll make it worse,” he said, finally letting go of your face and handing you a napkin. 

You stared at the ground, wondering what had possessed you a second earlier as you wiped your mouth. The sting from the burn on your lips was nothing compared to the tickling sensation remaining where his thumb had touched it. That and the uncomfortable disappointment you had felt when only air remained where his fingertip once resided.

You weren’t a child, you knew what you were feeling, what you didn’t understand was why. Better yet, you understood why, but you didn’t want to accept it. 

“Right,” you whispered, finally finding your voice again. You tried to ignore the way your heart seemed to be trying to escape from your chest with the all too familiar sensation you never expected to relate to him when you noticed how unfazed he was, eating his breakfast as though he hadn’t been leaning over you a second ago. 

Maybe you were just imagining things after all.

“I talked to Erwin, by the way,” he offered, breaking the silence.

“Oh?”

“Hange is fine. He ordered her to take the week off, just in case, but there was no permanent damage. Her arm needed some stitches, of course, but the cut was a lot more shallow than it looked and she’s had worse before.”

Those were good news, at least. It could give you something else to focus your mind on. 

Still a bit distracted by the way your breathing refused to return to normal, you picked up your now empty plate and walked towards the sink. As you did, you finally noticed what had been off about the place. 

“Levi… Did you clean my apartment?”

You snapped back, waiting for him to admit what you already knew. The dishes were clean, neatly washed, and put away. All clothes that had been laying around before laid in an organized and folded pile on your table and your shoes were lined by the door. Overall, everything had been straightened up, making the place look like a picture from a catalog.

“Took you long enough to notice,” he grumbled. 

“You really didn’t have to do that.” 

A small tinge of embarrassment went through you, it was one thing for your previous boyfriend to clean the apartment you both lived in together, but Levi was your coworker and you didn’t understand what could have compelled him to do that.

“Trust me, it was more for my sake than yours. I couldn’t concentrate.”

He stood up, picking up his own plate and taking yours from your stunned hand before opening the faucet to wash them. You were still too confused to decline, moving to the side with crossed arms.

“It wasn’t that bad,” you muttered. 

Levi turned to you, a bemused look on his face. He clearly disagreed.

Once he is done with the dishes despite your uncompelling arguments to leave them be, he departs to get changed and pick up a map. You use the opportunity to take a much-needed shower and then wait for him to come back snuggled up on the couch with a book. It’s a nice break for your brain from all the riddles and worrying.

When you hear the front door open once more, you spy Levi walking in with a large bag in his hand, now wearing jeans and a grey shirt. He ignores you at first, walking to the kitchen table and emptying the contents of the bag. His hair is once again neatly combed and, as he walks by, you get a short whiff of his wonderful cologne.

“What’s in the bag?”

He turns to you, impassively shrugging as he takes out the contents. 

“Tea. I don’t know how long this will take or if we will have to work like this again. I figured I should bring some. If you don’t mind, of course.”

You roll your eyes and get up to walk towards him. He was getting pretty comfortable in your kitchen, it seemed.

The rest of the items on the table make you pause. There is a variety of snacks, ranging from healthy granola bars to potato chips and a bag with some more coffee for you, he must have noticed you drank most of what you had last night. The one thing that stands out though is the bottle of wine. 

You pick it up, reading the label and noticing its fancy origin and price tag then give him a curious look, one eyebrow raised but he doesn’t flinch.

“You were right, I don’t like the cheap box kind,” he explains.

It brings all the nerves your shower succeeded in taking away back. You had no way of knowing it, of course, but Levi had debated with himself for quite a bit before adding the bottle to his cart before coming here. It had been an impulsive buy, one he wasn’t even sure you would ever open. 

“Here is the map, let’s get to work.”

He takes the bottle from your hands, placing it on the counter behind and hoping he has succeeded in distracting you. He doesn’t know if your confusion stems from discontent at how inappropriate it could be seen as and he would rather not find out right now, unaware of the rapid beat of your heart as his fingers brushed yours during the exchange. 

After a brief moment of consideration, you drag your chair to sit beside him instead of on opposite ends of the table. It will make looking at the map together easier, you rationalize in your head. 

It’s the cheap variety gas stations sell, but that is all you need. Letting your hair fall in curtains around your face, you lean over on your elbow, using your other hand to trace the lines around the map. You are looking for something that has to do with music and the month of March. 

You don’t notice the way he stares at you, ignoring the table as you concentrate. Your hair is still damp, the scent of your body wash overwhelming and sweet from your recent shower. 

It only takes a few minutes before a wide smile illuminates your features, having found what you were looking for. 

“Levi,” you start, turning to him as he hides the fact that he had been staring.

“Yes?”

“Do you have a suit?”

Levi frowns. “Of course, why?”

You point your finger at a building in the corner of the map, right by the water.

“You were right when you guessed March. See this? There is a performance hall on third street, March is the third month of the year. The home of song is probably referring to the place since music festivals tend to be held there.”

He leans over, gaze focused on the hall you pointed at. “What about the  _ ‘season of the hero’  _ part though? Didn’t we say it had to do something with Fall too?”

You nod, excited that it’s all falling into place, pieces connecting with each other right in front of your eyes.

“How much you bet they will have a classical music event soon? Fall officially starts in a week.”

Levi’s eyes narrow as he thinks it over, then they widen. 

“ _ The street of death looks on. The season of a hero’s creation takes place in the home of song.  _ Clever. The composers were a hint towards the type of event and the rest towards the time and place. Do you think there will be another clue there? Or another attack attempt? Also, what does me having a suit have to do with it?” The last question is said warily, unsure of what to expect. 

You sit back down, leaning back on your chair as you look at him mischievously.

“I am not entirely sure, but we’ll figure that part out once we are there. As for the suit…”

You lean forward, placing both elbows on the table and resting your head on top of your palms as you smirk at him, copying his mannerism for once. 

“Well, we are going to a concert, aren’t we? Wouldn’t want you to be dressed inappropriately for it.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Here is a bit of a longer chapter, I hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> Let me know what you think! I am sorry for the cliffhanger with Hange last chapter, hopefully, this makes up for it! :D Quick reminder that I absolutely adore reading all your comments <3 
> 
> Note: I am going to try to stick with posting on Fridays for this story but, let's be real, I will likely get too impatient and post more often as I have been doing until now.


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